Puppet of War
by BlackStarsLight
Summary: An average twenty two year old college student, Cassandra, and her deaf best friend, Lisa, are struck by lightning one day and wake up finding themselves in a god-forsaken forest, within a world known as Middle Earth. Why were they sent here? How will they get home? (Written in Cassandra's view. 10th & 11th Walker.) Legolas x OC/Boromir x OC
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

While listening to my favorite Romanian band Activ, I sit at my desk typing up my ridiculous, eight page, paper on Socioeconomic Statuses: How They Affect Sentences in the Judicial Process, for my Criminal Justices class. I am only five pages in and nearly don't have enough resources as I should have.

Why I must have fifteen different resources I have no Idea. I let out a sigh and continue on my mental ranting as I'm typing away at my paper, while Lisa, my best friend since the second grade and roommate, walks into the room.

_"Hey."_ I sign to her, refocusing back on my paper.

Lisa drops her backpack on her tidy pink bed, takes the seat from her desk, positioning it next to me, and sits down waiting patiently for me to finish my thought before grabbing my full attention. I can tell from the sudden twitching of her leg that she was excited about something and was dying to tell me. I held up my finger telling her to wait for a minute, as I save my paper and close my laptop, giving her my full attention.

_"What's up?"_ I ask her in sign language.

_"So guess who I saw today?"_ Lisa smiles and wiggles her brows while signing to me sloppily from her excitement.

I laugh, _"Aaron Fleece?"_

Lisa pulls a disgusted face at the thought of buck-toothed Fleece, and shook her head to and fro. _"No, Jake Monrowe."_

_"Jake Monrowe? You mean the drunk-high-off-his-ass-jock?"_

_"Yep! He saw me walking from Communications and asked if I was your roommate."_

I held up my hand to stop her. _"Wait, he asked you? Meaning he talked with you? Does he know ASL?"_

Lisa huffs at me for interrupting her story. _"Well if you must know, no. He talked to me with a pen and a piece of paper."_

I chuckle and sign for her to carry on.

_"So I told him, that I was, and he asked if you happen to be single and if I could give him your number."_

_"Oh Lisa, you didn't."_

_"Let me finish."_ Lisa lightly slaps my hand down and continues with her story. _"So since I am such an amazing best friend, and I didn't want to leave him hanging, I gave him a reply. I wrote back on his little piece of paper saying, 'I'm sorry but, Cassandra is definitely not single, as she happens to be MY girlfriend'."_ She smiles at the thought. _"You should have seen his face, it was priceless. He immediately went red, turned around and fled back to the education building."_

I start to laugh loudly as the tears start to flood my eyes. _"You told him we were dating?"_

_"Yep! Aren't I just clever?"_ Lisa swept her hand under her strawberry blonde hair and dramatically flips it off her shoulder pulling a sassy look on her face. _"But let's be honest if we were to ever date, it would practically be incest. I love you dearly but I think of our relationship as sisterly love. So I'm sorry if I have been misleading you."_ Lisa gave a fake pouty face, and smiles teasingly.

I dramatically sign back, _"Oh no! I have been friend zoned. Why?"_ We both fell into laughter, and more tears flee from my eyes.

_"So did I brighten up your mood?"_ Lisa asks, knowing that I needed some cheering up from my mental ranting at my laptop for my paper to just write itself. She always seems to know what to do to cheer me up.

_"Yes, thank you."_

Lisa nods, and stands up walking over to our closet and throws my gymnastics dance clothes and shoes on my bed before turning to me. _"Come on we've got dance in a half an hour, and I want to grab the balance beam before prissy Katrina, takes it for herself."_

I nod in approval, jump out of my chair, walk over to my bed, and start to undress. I pull off my shirt and stop for a short time gazing at myself in the mirror.

My short pixie brown hair framed my heart shaped face, and my royal blue eyes were vibrant, as always. I gaze down to the rest of my body. My lightly tanned skin glows under sun's rays, as they seep through the cracks of the blinds or our window. My figure, to many girls, was something that any girl would wish to have, a nice hourglass, a perfect round bust and strong toned muscles all over. Many say I look like a fallen angel who lives her days on earth. I would give anything to look like everyone else.

I twist my body slightly and peer at my back, once again. Scars cover my back from the base of my neck to the sole of my lower back. I flash back to that dark room with the flickering light bulb that only casted little light to better my vision. The smells of the hot iron gliding across my searing skin, the sounds of screaming echoing off of the walls, and the touch of those large rough calloused hands all over me.

I instantly get out of my trance and see Lisa staring at me through the mirror with sorrow and pain in her eyes. She is the only one who truly knew what I went through, and she wanted to do so much as take the pain and scars away. I smile at her and quickly grab my loose blue dance shirt and pull it over my head concealing all of my scars from any prying eyes. I then put on my black dance leggings and my grey dance shoes.

As I was finishing putting on my last shoe and pulling on a light grey jacket I watch as Lisa sweeps up her long, wavy blonde hair up into a tight ponytail. Her golden locks shines brightly in the dimmed dormitory room underneath the florescent lights. But I know once she steps outside her hair will absorb the sun's rays and will make every man and woman to stop and turn their heads.

She glances my way with her bright mossy green eyes, after her hair is pulled up to her liking. "Ready?" I nod in her direction and grab my backpack with my water bottle, deodorant, and two extra dance shirts for Lisa and I, when we get overly sweaty which we usually do.

_"Are you good on batteries?"_ I ask Lisa as I point at my ear mimicking her hearing aid.

Lisa nods, _"Yeah I have quite a few hours left, I should be fine till later tomorrow."_

I smile, _"Alright, let's go."_ We left our dorm room locking the door behind us and start heading towards the elevator at the end of the hall.

"Cassandra!" Jessica Davis, our RA, calls from behind us and places a hand on my shoulder. I shrug her hand off lightly, hating the physical contact, and turn smiling at her.

"Hello Jessica. How are you?" I ask lightly, feeling Lisa tense ever so slightly beside me her mood practically heaving from the presence of Jessica.

"I am doing well, thank you." She looks to Lisa and gives a slight smile and said slowly and much too loudly annunciating every syllable, "How, are, you, Lisa?"

I feel Lisa cringe at each word but stands with a straight face and signs back with a large smile that I know to be complete bull, _"Just because I am deaf does not mean I am stupid, you fucking bitch."_

I gave Lisa a look and then look back toward Jessica's confused face as she turns to me for an explanation. "She said, she is doing well but can't wait to get on the dance floor to work out some of her muscles."

"Oh I see, well I guess I should let you two go. But later tonight there is a mandatory floor meeting so be sure to be there."

"Okay." I smile, and wave goodbye as we head to the elevator while Jessica walks back to her room.

Lisa let out a huge breath of air, _"I swear every time that bitch-queen-wanna-be walks up to me, I just want to punch that plastic face of her in."_

I laugh at her as we head down the elevator to the first floor. _"I will admit she is not the brightest person in the world, but don't hold it all against her. She is just trying to be nice is all."_

_"No, she is trying to tempt me into committing murder."_ She scoffs as we left the dorm heading in the direction of the performing arts building.

I hear the loud thrumming of a storm before I feel the harsh drops of the heavy rain upon us. That is weird.

Lisa give a look of shock as she looks up at the sky. _"No one said anything about a rainstorm. Did you know about this? Just moments ago the sun was shining brightly and the sky bluer than ever! What is going on?"_

_"Instead of pondering about the weather how about we make a break for the PA building. I'd rather not be soaking wet when trying to work on my triple front-back flips."_

Lisa nods and together we quicken our pace to almost a sprint heading across the parking lot. While we ran Lisa grabs my attention and signs, _"What are the chances of being hit by lightning?"_

I laugh, _"According to many resources it is roughly a one out of three thousand chances to actually be hit by lightning. So a 0.0003333,"_

Lisa laughs, _"Okay, okay I got it. Stop showing off your smarts,"_ and she stuck a tongue out at me.

Lightning struck about a mile away from us and the sky lit up in white. Soon Lisa's pace starts to slow ever so slightly and her body tenses from her childhood fear of being struck.

_"Come on Lisa."_ I nudge her now soaking body forward, ignoring the fact that I am soaking wet as well.

Lisa smiles thanks to me and start walking, _"Sorry I know I get a bit riled up."_

I wave off her apology as I didn't expect one from her and continue our fast pace to get across campus. I notice that all around us no one is outside or even in sight. It's rather strange, there are a lot of students at this time who would be heading to classes even when it's this late in the evening.

Suddenly the thunder crashes starts to roar in my ears repeatedly causing myself to hold my ears. I look to my right as I see that Lisa has taken off her hearing aids immediately as the sound was so intense for even her deaf ears, and places them in her pocket to avoid damaging them in the rain. The sound was so intense that for a slight second I plead to the gods and goddesses above to allow myself to be deaf, the sound was terrifying.

Lisa grabs my arm, with the sound no longer causing her any pain and helps me start heading to our destination which was about two hundred yards away still. I wince at the sound but kept moving when suddenly the sounds stop. We stop in our tracks and I look up at the silent dark grey sky.

_"Did it stop?"_ Lisa asks me noticing my change in reaction.

I nod and slowly brought my hands down waiting for a full minute before letting a breath out. I laugh and sign, "Now that was scary."

Lisa nod with a smile, _"I'm just glad to have someone like you to protect me, If I happen to ever face danger."_

I laugh, _"I think it's the other way around."_ We drop into laughter and hug one another in a tight embrace.

Suddenly a flash of intense blinding light and a crashing sound came upon us and my whole body felt like it was on fire. I hear Lisa's screams and I immediately put my body around her protecting her from the light, and immediately after there was silence and the darkness consumes us.

"Cassandra Marie Hunter," A feminine voice from some unknown presence in the dark calls my name softly and pulls my head from its slumber. I feel as if I have nothing to hold on to, no roof, no floor, and no wall. My own body feels as if it is non-existent. I am floating in eternal darkness; my soul is floating in a sea of black mist.

_Who was that? Where am I?_ I feel as I should be screaming for help but at the same time, I feel so exhausted and lost to even muster up the strength to even think in words.

"Do not fear dear child, for I have not come to harm you. You lay within my realm of shadows; I go by the name of Maeve, or Athena to your world."

_Athena, the Goddess of war? Why am I here? Am I dead?_ I ask in thought knowing that she can probably hear my every thought, as I am unable to speak.

"I have brought you here my dear, to give you the honor to continue life in a world far different from your own and live to serve your goddess, myself."

_I don't understand._

"I have watched you from the day of your birth and have decided that you were the perfect woman to play as my warrior, my little puppet of war. You will be the changing course of battle within this new world, and see life and death through my eyes." Her voice felt slick and ice cold, and I felt my bodiless soul shiver in fear.

_I don't like the sound of that. I do not wish to be a mere puppet for evil doings._

The voice in the darkness chuckles quietly, "My dear Cassandra, my path set for you is not to destroy and conquer in battle, but to balance it. I will give you gifts of my own power and watch over you at all times. You will do my work of which I will not be able to do on my own. You will live the life I have always wanted. To be free of these chains of watching battle from above, for all of eternity, but never having the chance to embrace it."

"But know that you will not go alone for I will grant you a gift that I am sure you will find most pleasant. Your most dear friend Lisa, will accompany you on your journey."

_Lisa?_ I flash back to running with her through the rain storm and the terrible thunder, and a bright burning light. _Were we struck by lightning?_

"Yes indeed, I thought it would be one of the most heart wrenching deaths anyone could imagine." The womanly voice chuckles once more, "Two friends since the age of seven, embrace one another in love and joy before they are smite to death by lightning. Right now your story is all over the country, quite the stir you two have made."

_Where is Lisa? What have you done with her?_

"Do not worry, Lisa Taylor is within this realm but will not awaken here. Once you wake in your new world you will find her next to you breathing and alive."

I felt my worries lighten ever so slightly.

"There now you see I'm not really that bad.", the voice coos.

I say nothing with my mind finished with talking to this crazy daemon or goddess or whatever the hell she wants to call herself.

The voice snickers, probably at my thought of her being a crazy daemon, but lets it go. "Well my dear girl, it is time we said farewell. I will be watching you so I hope you will be impressive and entertaining for me in this new world."

_I'm never going to work for you!_

Again a chuckle fills the dark shadow realm. "I do not worry for once you wake your memories of ever meeting me will be non-present. You will wake in a new land unaware of where you are or where you shall need to go."

_You Evil B-_

"Now let's start this story shall we?"

Suddenly I feel hot and heavy, falling into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

I began to slip into consciousness as the light from the sun seeps through my closed eyelids and the warmth of its rays warms my face. I hear chirping from birds above me and the sound of a creek not too far from my left. My body feels stiff and in aching pain all over as if I had been ran over by a truck, and I am unable to move anything. The ground beneath me feels hard as stone and I feel the grass sweep against my arms and legs from the breeze.

_Where am I? _I try once again to open my eyes by scrunching my eyelids first and then slowly opening them. _Man it's bright. _I barely open my eyelids and the intense sun blinds me. I take a deep breath and try again to slowly open my eyes blinking rapidly to adjust to the light.

Above me the sky is a bright pink and orange marking that it is either early morning or late evening, where the sun is heading, I have no clue. The tall trees sways above from the wind passing through. _Trees? What the hell? When in New York have there been trees?_ I slowly start to move my fingers and wrists as I grab the grass from the ground and try to force myself upwards.

After many minutes of fighting against my sleeping body I finally have myself in a sitting position. My vision shifts, going in and out of focus, as my head pounds at my skull from an intense headache. I take a few deep even breaths with my eyes closed, persisting the headache to subside and for my dizzy spell to dissipate. Many minutes pass and the headache has finally subsided for the most part. _Thank you meditation._

I reopen my eyes and allow my surrounding be made known to my mind. I find that I am indeed in a green forest, in the middle of nowhere. _Well isn't this just peachy._

_What happened?_ I try to recall the past events of what happened before I ended up here. _I was walking, in a rainstorm, to dance class with- _I pondered as I formed her face in my mind, _Lisa._

_Lisa! Where is she? _I scarcely look around me and find Lisa sleeping next to me on my right with a troubled look on her face. "Oh my god, Lisa!" I instantly whipped my body toward her, hissing at the returning pounding headache, and start to shake her intensely. "Lisa wake up! Lisa!" I keep yelling her name and thrusting her to and fro praying that she will open her eyes. But she just simply will not wake up. I start to panic as I scream her name again and, feeling desperate, I shot out my hand and slap her hard across the face.

Immediately Lisa's eyes jerks open, placing her left hand upon her left cheek, glaring in my direction before realizing that it was me. She then looks above and realizes that we are in a place that is not New York City. She starts to hyperventilate, but then looks back into my eyes and starts to force herself to calm down.

Slowly with shaky hands she signs, "_Will you help me up?" _I nod and grab her arms and pulling her slowly up and wait for her to catch her breath no doubt trying to contain all of her stomach continents inside.

After a few minutes Lisa finally looks back up to me, "_Where are we? Am I dreaming?" _

I laugh slightly; "_Well if you're dreaming then I must be having that same crazy dream." _I look around us again and then look back at Lisa sitting before me on the firm ground, "_I don't know where we are."_

"_What happened?"_

I answer her question with a question, "_What do you remember last?"_

She thought in puzzlement but then I see recognition hitting her eyes. "_The storm! We were running across campus and then we were-" _she paused in disbelief, "_we were struck by lightning."_

I nod, "_So I guess it really did happen."_

"_Are we in heaven?"_

I look around us once again and shake my head, "_I don't think so, from what I understand heaven should at least have golden gates open to us or even an angel guide to help lead us the way. But instead, it seems that we are lost in some god forsaken forest."_

I felt Lisa's body shiver under my hand which was still placed on her shoulder, I could practically feel her fear, radiating off of her. I took a deep breath as the sensation of her fear gave my stomach a flip and a sort of energy sparked within me. I feel the sudden urge to protect her with every fiber of my being.

I stand on my feet after dropping my hand from her shoulder and slowly rise to ease the nausea till I am standing straight. I look down at Lisa, giving her my hand and lift her upright without any struggle.

A look of shock crosses Lisa's features as I pulled her up so fast and easily. "_Wow, I hadn't realized how strong you were till now."_

"_Well I have been working out." _I bounce my eyebrows at her trying to relieve the tension that's looming over us.

Lisa lightly giggles but then stops putting on a straight face, looking back toward me and slaps my face lightly without putting full force into it. She blushes and looks slightly away appalled at her own action and silently signs to me, "_That was payback for slapping me in my sleep."_

I laugh aloud and immediately embrace her in my arms. Lisa stands very still in shock by my sudden gesture, but then places her hands on my back and embraces me in return.

I look back up at the sky, noticing that the sun is in fact setting as the sky starts to turn a deep purple. "_It will be dark soon, I think we should start moving and see if maybe we would run into anyone. Ask them where we are and if they might have a phone." _

A look of shock crosses Lisa's face and immediately she spins around and looks down to the ground. I look down at what she was looking for and find my charred but intact navy backpack lying on the ground a few feet from where we awoke. _My backpack!_

"Ha!" Lisa exclaims as she runs over, opens my pack, and pulls out my old silver flip phone. Lisa then stand walking back to me with a triumphant face. "_Instead of going to the trouble of finding and asking someone why don't we use your cell?"_

My mouth hangs open in surprise. But I shake my head and sign back in reply, _"I honestly forgot I had that."_

Lisa presses the power button on my phone and it lights up immediately. She smiles with glee and then types in my not so secret pin into my phone and unlocks it. But as soon as it's unlocked her brows furrow together, she raises the phone up high into the air and walks around in a circle before stepping back in front of me with her shoulders slumped forward.

"_Let me guess, no reception." _ I reply sarcastically, with my eyebrow cocked high.

"_No. You think?" _ Lisa replies in a similar sarcastic tone in her movements.

I laugh at her expression, _"If I didn't know any better I'd say that I was looking at a mirror." _I tease her, attempting to lift her mood.

Lisa just sticks her tongue out at me but then smiles lightly.

I look away and stare down into the distant trees around us. I huff in annoyance at the irony of getting lost in the middle of nowhere with no reception. _"Well then we might as well start walking. It's getting too dark and we should start finding a town or even a human being."_

Lisa nods in approval and smiles lightly. I can sense the fear radiating off of her, as it collides with my own fear, but I smile back at her brave face. _"So, which way shall we go?"_

Lisa ponders for a minute before standing straight and looking down at her hair, noticing how it blew to the right of us. _"This way."_

We start to walk to the edge to where the trees begin around us,_"Off goes Cassandra Hunter and Lisa Taylor on their grand adventure into the world of the unknown. What tests will they face? Who, or what, will they cross paths with? Their path is uncertain, but one thing is for sure certain, they are on going to have their asses handed to them just from walking through the forest vines and wet moss, that is for damn well sure." I huff at the look of the ground, after pulling my reporter impersonation. _

Lisa giggles, _"Dork."_

I give her a playful wink, _"Just for you babe."_

Lisa smiles coyly at me, _"You know if I didn't know better, I'd say that you are actually in love with me."_

I gave her a look of shock as I dramatically place my hand on my chest as if struck by an arrow. "Mwah?" I reply aloud.

Lisa nods with a big grin plastered on her face, _"Just admit it, you love me."_

I laugh out loud, _"You won't get anything out of me." _ I dragged my fingers across my lips, charrading zipping them, locking it tight and throwing the imaginary key away.

This makes Lisa laugh out loud, that to some would sound scratchy and low, but to me it is music to my ears.

We start to walk down for many hours, and it's now dark enough that the stars are shining bright casting the light through the trees along with the full moon, which I a thankful is casting enough light for us to see around us. Occasionally we would have to stop and take a sip of water from my water bottle which I was happy to find within my pack. Other times Lisa would stop us, being scared half to death from a rustling bush by the wind or the brush of a branch across her arm that she didn't see. She may have keen sight compared to me, but she is being overly tense and jumpy, and it's starting to really nerve me. But I kept my face clear of stress and smiled telling her jokes every now and then to soften up her jumpy nerves.

"_Okay how about this. 'Why do thieves shower before they commit a crime?'" _

Lisa cocks her brow toward me. _"Because they reak?"_

I huff in annoyance, _"No. Because they like a clean getaway." _I smile widely waiting for her laughing reaction.

"_That's the joke?" _She asks me with her brow cocked even higher. _"I thought you were supposed to make me laugh."_

I roll my eyes teasingly stick my tongue out at her.

Lisa smiles triumphantly and then continues looking forward leading the way through the dark forest. _"Alright, my turn. 'Why did the tomato blush?'"_

"_Blush?"_

Lisa nods in my direction, with her eyes wide and filled with humor.

I shrug my shoulders and laugh lightly, _"I have no clue."_

"_Because the salad was dressing."_

I burst in laughter, _"And you think that my joke was lame?"._

Lisa smiles coyly at me, _"Well it made you laugh didn't it?"_

I throw my hands up in surrender, _"Alright, I submit. You win with the lame jokes."_

Lisa looks to me, _"Tied for first?" _She holds out her hand for me to shake.

"_Deal." _ I sign with a huge grin.

_I grab her right hand with my own and firmly shake it. But then I suddenly fall straight on my face from tripping over a raised vine and clumsily thump on the cold ground. Instantly, I'm scream in pain as I feel something jagged and sharp pierce into my left thigh._

"Cass!" Lisa screams my name, jumps to my side and starts to lift me up.

"No!" I shake my hand back and forth to stop her from moving me. Immediately Lisa jumps back with her hands raised to keep her from touching me. I place both of my hands beneath me and slightly raise my upper body to look up at her before speaking. "I need to roll over. Something went into my leg."

Lisa starts to hyperventilate, but then looks to me, forces herself to calm down, and a look of determination is in place on her face. "Okay." Her rough voice rings through my ears, but I bite down on my lip to ignore the pain from my head and leg.

Lisa crouches down to my side and places her hands under my shoulders and then starts to count aloud. "One, two, three!" She then flips me on to my back and I scream from the excruciating pain. Without dropping me, Lisa slowly places me down to the ground before walking to my front and crouching down to get a better view of my bleeding leg.

"Holy mother fucking lord Jesus christ!" I curse out to the world til, I finally coax myself into breathing slowly.

Lisa peers down at the large wound, which I would not look at, _"There is a shard in your leg and unless if you want an infection-"_

"Just pull it the fuck out!" I scream, and thrash my head side to side clawing my fingers into the dirt and vines beneath me.

Lisa quickly pulls off her pink dance shirt,ignoring the fact that she is now only wearing her white sports bra, and starts to tear it into two large pieces. With one piece she quickly rolls it up with a stick, she found on the ground, and places it into my mouth which I bite down onto without hesitation.

Lisa then takes off her belt and quickly wraps it tightly above my wound, right at the base of my hip, cutting off the blood circulation and places the second cloth on top of my searing thigh.

She hesitantly looks up at me and I close my eyes tightly shut. Then Lisa starts to count aloud, "One-", then the shard is ripped out clean.

I scream through the cloth and stick between my biting teeth and allow the tears to freely pour down my face. Beyond my cries of pain I can hear Lisa ripping more of her shirt into long strips.

Lisa lightly taps my shoulder gaining my attention and I slowly open my glassy eyes and look straight into her calm ones. _"I need to cut off part of your pant legs. Do you still carry that knife of yours?"_

I nod slightly and look to my right shoulder where my backpack strap is still resting on. Lisa immediately walks behind me and opens up my pack before taking out my knife as well as my water bottle. She then walks back and kneels before me once again, takes the knife and starts to cut off my black left pant leg into a shorts leg, to where the wound is now fully visible.

Lisa takes a deep breath but shows no further emotions then that, which I am thankful for. She takes the water bottle and carefully uses a bit of water on my detached pant leg and starts to softly wipe away the blood to make the wound more visible. But the more she wipes away the more the blood keeps seeping out.

Lisa inhales ruffly, and then starts to rapidly wipe away at my leg, attempting to stop the blood flow. I peer down at my leg to view the wound closer. The jagged cut is about eight inches long and a half an inch wide. _Well isn't this just fucking perfect. _I peer down at the shard and can see that it was once part of an old double edged sword. _Why the hell is there a medieval sword out here?_

Lisa starts to whimper and hiccup beside me, and I look up to find her face all red and her eyes filled with tears. She furiously wipes at my leg trying to tempt the blood flow to slow but all it's doing is just creating a bigger mess.

"Lisa." I reach out and touch her shoulder, and immediately she whips her head in my direction allowing me to see her face full of shock and fear. I hold onto her shoulder fearing that if I let go she will go into hysterics and spoke clearly, at a slow pace, to ensure she understands me. "If you keep rubbing at it like that it's just going to get worse." Her lower lip starts to quiver. "I am going to be okay. But I am going to need your help. I can't do this alone." Lisa then blinks a few times as a bit of the light returns to her eyes. She nods and wipes at her eyes before taking a deep breath, then looks to me.

I nod in approval and then point to the strips of her old pink tee-shirt, and sign using only my right hand allowing my left to support me upright. _"Help me wrap it up. Tight."_

Lisa quickly grabs the cloths and place them beneath my thigh and slowly but efficiently wraps the strips of cloth around my leg and tying it tight before tucking the ends in. I wouldn't have asked for a better patch job from her. I gave her a slight pat on the shoulder in thanks and then motioned for some help to stand straight. Lisa briskly walks behind my and places her hand beneath my arms and lifts me into a standing position.

I stand with the help of Lisa's support for a few moments as I allowing the dizzy spell to leave. _I guess I lost a bit too much blood. _Once I am finally standing on my feet, my left foot is lightly touching the ground as I am forcing the majority of my weight onto my right leg. I test my left leg by adding a bit of pressure here and there and nod in approval. _If I take it slow, I should be okay. I just can't risk to take too large of steps._

Once Lisa ensures that I can stand alone for a while she immediately rushes away to a nearby tree, and starts to pull at a large straight branch, about four feet long, that had broken off the tree and takes the last strip of her pink shirt and wraps it at one end where the branch makes a perfect Y, creating the perfect walking crutch.

Lisa walks back to me and hands me the crutch which I gladly use as support for my left side. I once again test the weight and it is far more bearable to withstand.

I look up to her with a grin and sign to her using my right hand, _"Thank you."_

Lisa smiles lightly, but a look of guilt is written all over it.

"_Hey. You are not at fault for any of this. I should have watched where I was stepping. If you need to blame something, blame my clumsy dance feet, or better yet these stupid vines." I gestured to the ground around us that is full of moss._

Lisa takes a big gulp of air and lets it out allowing the tension in her shoulders to relax. I smiled at her, and I start to walk back into the direction we planned on heading being extra careful to watch my step with my crutch as a support.

"Wait." Lisa stops me from continuing forward as she places her hand on my shoulder.

I stop and turn to look at her as I feel her tugging off my backpack from my shoulders. I raise my brow at her as she reopens the pack placing my knife and water bottle back inside, before pulling out her other rosy pink dance shirt that I was luckily carrying. _Oh yeah, she tore her old one, for me. _

Lisa then slings the backpack's strap over her shoulders, and before I could protest she slaps my hand down and tightens the straps over her shoulders. _"You are in no condition to walk, but since I know you are absolutely stubborn, at least let me carry your bag."_

I huff at her but then nod in agreement.

Lisa then takes the lead once again, but this time at a much slower pace and walks on the left side of me. I follow beside her thankful for the slower pace and we continue our search for any lights in the distance.

_Lisa starts to laugh lightly beside me._

"_What?"_

"_Cassandra the reporter was right. You did get your ass handed to you, thanks to the vines."_

I laugh at that and start to sign using only my right hand._ "Who knows maybe it's a calling. Instead of Criminal Justice, maybe I should look into majoring in Journalism and apply to work at Fox News."_

"_Oh yeah. I can see you just following orders in a sophisticated tight suit telling the world, what the action looks like safe behind the yellow tape. It's totally you."_

I grimace at the image, _"On second thought, I'll stick to the Criminal Justice and aim to join the secret service."_

_Lisa smiles lightly and without another word we continue, our slow pace forward._


	3. To my lovely readers:

HELLO!

I am back! I know, I know, I am extremely late on updating, and I am so sorry about that. I have been going through a lot of dramatic changes this past year but I am back and ready to get to work on this story.

As I have been gathering all of my new chapters, I looked back at my previous work and cried a little. And three days later I reconstructed, CHANGED, and cleaned up my story (The key word is _CHANGED_). Now I know you all want to know what happens to Lisa and Cass after they meet the fellowship, but you NEED to reread my updated chapters. I have changed quite a few things and the gramer was in major need of help.

To my future readers, Hello!

I hope you all will enjoy my story and if you have any suggestions, corrections you want to make out, or just want to give a bit of praise (cough cough). Please don't be afraid to give me a shout out. I am very new at this and enjoy obtaining everyone's feedback.

Thanks for being so supportive!

BlackStarsLight


	4. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Another hour or so has passed and I'd say it is well past midnight by now. The crickets in the distance, our slow paced footsteps and my labored breathing are the only things that are penetrating the silence.

About a half hour ago, Lisa's hearing aid batteries have officially died. Even though she just brushed it off as nothing, placing the now useless hearing aids in the backpack, I knew that her heart is torn for the fact that she can no longer hear a single thing. And being in an uninhabited forest, it terrified her.

_I know I am already terrified, so I can't imagine what she's feeling._

Immediately Lisa, breaks my train of thought and stops us dead in our tracks, pushing my head down lightly to the ground, crouches beside me, and places her slender pointer finger up to her lips telling me to be silent.

I ignore the sudden pain that's erupting in my leg and look to her in understanding, "_What do you see?"_

She peers further into the darkness and I look in the same direction ahead of us not seeing much of anything. But once I focus deep into the forest, I can make out a very faint light in the far distance. I use my hearing as far as I can reach and can hear very hushed voices in the distance. I slightly look back to Lisa as she signs to me as silently as possible. "_There is a camp fire up ahead."_

I nod in agreement, "_I can hear voices in the distance."_

Lisa keeps silent, knowing that deep intakes of breath would not be a good thing to do. "_I think we should head in their direction and see if they seem to be nice and hospitable." _She gazes down at my left leg, wrapped in her old, now bloody, shredded pink shirt. "_You need a doctor." _

I nod, "_And what if these people happen to not be 'nice and hospitable'?"_

Lisa shakes her head back and forth, takes a deep breath of air, and looks to me with calm eyes. "_We will be fine."_

I refrain from sighing at her optimism and motion for her to turn around. Without question Lisa turns and allows me to go through my pack on her back. I pull out my mini Swiss army knife and my small can of pepper spray using my right hand while my left is still holding onto the crutch. I zip back up my pack and place the pepper spray into Lisa's hands. She looks to me with her left brow raised, her face saying, '_you're not serious, are you?'_

"_Just for safety precautions." _ I told her.

Lisa just nods as I tuck my knife inside my black legging pants at my right hip and pull my shirt over so it is concealed. I nod to Lisa and she leads the way quietly treading softly as she can, as I follow closely behind, trying to not make much noise, as we got closer to the flickering lights.

The distant voices of what sounds to be a group of men, grows louder as we near their campsite. I feel Lisa slow her pace even more before we are standing behind a large tree. I still cannot get a good view of the campsite and cannot get any closer in fear that we will be seen.

I look around and above us to the trees and can see the perfect viewing perch above us. I look back to Lisa, "_Stay here, and keep quiet. I'm going to check it out up top."_

Lisa shakes her head rapidly, "_Your leg -"_

"_You're terrified of heights anyway. I'm just gonna take a quick look and then I'll be down. I don't even need this leg for support, I could even climb this blindfolded using only my upper body to lift me. I'll be fine."_

Lisa shakes her head, "_This is stupid. I'm not going to allow you to-"_

"_Too late." _I immediately grab the vines and thankful to nineteen years of taking gymnastics and acro dancing, I made it up the large tree swiftly and silently using my upper body and right leg. The pain starts to escalate but I keep from hissing and keep my face straight so Lisa will not worry. I wave down at her showing that I made it to the top, and then focus on moving to the other side of the tree. Once I'm standing on a hanging limb that looks over the campsite I keep myself hidden in the shadows and look down at the party beneath me, and I have to double take to ensure I'm not dreaming.

Men dressed in medieval wear crowds around a small campfire. Three men, two with short trimmed beards, clothed in cloth and fur skins, and swords on their belts, sit together talking lowly to themselves as an older man who looks to have been taken out of a harry potter book, is dressed in long grey robes and a hat that looks like what witches or wizards would wear. The elder man has an ancient pipe in his mouth puffing god knows what and smiles kindly at the sight in front of him.

Two children, both young boys, are lightly singing and dancing around a very short midget of a man with a beard that covers the majority of the front of his body. The midget appears to hold a double bladed axe in his hand as he lightly chuckles at the children playing around him. Two other young boys sit together on a log, in the distance, one of the boys looks distraught, tired, and weak as if the life has been drained out of him, but he still smiles lightly and laughs, along with the blonde boy next to him, at the other kids running around the midget, singing very off key.

_What the hell is going on? Why are they dressed in medieval costumes? Is this some sort of boys scout cosplay gathering, out in the middle of the forest? _I look down on the campsite and watch as one of the kids walk over to the fire and grabs a bowl from the ground, pouring some sort of stew in it. Immediately, I feel my stomach clench in hunger for that young boy's food.

_They seem to be friendly enough, maybe if we walk down and-_

Suddenly another man with long blonde hair, with a bow and quiver fixed on his back, stalks into the campsite. Everyone in the camp stops and peers at his entrance as he holds a knife against a young woman's neck with her blonde hair gripped in his other hand. The man walks over talking in a tongue that is foreign to me, that even I could not register the language. But even in it melodic voice I could tell he is spitting threatening words at the woman. The two men sitting next to the elder stood with their hands in the hilts of their swords, ready to assess the threat.

The woman turns her face and looks directly at me with fear written all over her features pleading with her eyes for me to save her. _Lisa! _ It finally registers to me that my best friend is being held captive at knife point, scared and frozen in place. _But, where is the pepper spray I gave her? _I look down to the ground and find the pepper spray I gave her. _Damn._ The blonde man spoke harshly in her ear pulling her hair and I hear her whimper in pain.

Immediately I feel something snap within me and without a second thought I jump out of my hiding spot knowing that being a little over a story high the fall is going to hurt, a lot. I jump down while pulling the blond man off of Lisa. Once I land on the ground, my whole vision shifts as my leg screams at me in protest. But I don't focus on the pain and instead I shake my head from the warping vision. Once I shake the dizziness off, the adrenaline starts to kick in. I pull Lisa behind me as I punch the blonde man using whatever strength I can muster, keeping as little weight as I could off of my left foot. I may not be a martial artist, but I know where to lay punches in order to take a man down.

The blond man is slender but feels hard as stone beneath my fists, I know he is well built under his green tunic and is fast to cover most of my blows, if anyone would call it that. I feel more and more frustrated that I can't seem nail anything on him and start to push myself even harder, feeling the toll on my searing thigh as my vision starts to darken. I take a deep breath and grab a large stick on the ground and slam him in the side of his ribs, and the blond man stumbles a bit back. _Point one for me!_

Suddenly one of the men with the sword, one with dark brown hair, grabs my arms and restrains me against his chest, keeping myself from throwing any more punches. The other man with dirty blonde hair restrains frozen Lisa, as she screams from fright standing in place.

Thankful for my years of gymnastics, I allow the man to hold all of my weight as I thrust my right leg up and tilt my head to the left aiming my foot for the man's head who's restraining me. He drops me from shock of my kick and I jump using mostly my good leg, to Lisa pulling her out of the dirty blond man's arms by thrusting the palm of my hand to his nose, breaking it. _That has got to hurt._

Immediately I put Lisa against the tree that I climbed before, placing myself in a protective stance in front of her, raising my Swiss army knife with my right hand and shielding around her shivering body with my left, placing her behind me. The blonde man who grabbed Lisa in the first place, aims his arrow straight at my head knowing that I am the real threat, not Lisa.

"Just stay away from her. Don't you fucking dare touch her again, or I swear to God I will cut you into a million pieces!" I threaten, to the three men that stood before me. The man with the short dirty blond hair held his nose tightly, keeping the blood from rushing so much.

The blonde with the bow aiming at my face, talks in his melodic voice with spite, not taking his blue eyes from me but I register that he is talking to the man with the short dark brown hair, as he stares at the blonde man and then back at me. The man then motions for the archer to lower his bow. The handsome, but deadly, archer glares at me before lowering his bow ever so slightly. I don't move at all, knowing that as soon as I take my guard down, Lisa and I will be attacked.

The dark brown haired man slowly places his sword back into its sheath and takes a step forward with his hands raised, as if to calm a rabid wolf. I take a step back and place my left arm around Lisa's body bringing her close to me, shielding her from the threat in front of us.

The man spoke before us not taking any more steps forward, probably in fear to make me snap, "It is alright my lady. We do not mean to bring you any harm."

"The fuck you didn't!" I glare at the blonde archer and then look back to the man speaking to me, "Who the hell are you? Where are we?" I yell at the man expecting to get nothing from the handsome blonde archer.

The dark haired swordsman holds a puzzled look on his face from my cursing but shakes his head before placing his hand upon his chest and giving a slight bow, "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. You are currently standing within the borders of the woodland realm and the misty mountains."

Aragorn, or so he claims his name is, straightens his body and looks to me with curiosity but also suspicion in his eyes. "May I ask who you are?"

I stand very still watching the archer with careful eyes. Aragorn recognizes my hesitance and looks at the blonde man. "Legolas," he then spoke in that odd melodic language and gestures for him to lower his bow even more. The man, Legolas I believe, slowly lowers his bow and places his arrow back in the quiver where it once came. I felt Lisa's face in my back as she grabs my shirt hiding her face in fear. I ignore the intense pain in my leg and continue to peer at the three men before me.

Aragorn once again looks at me and calmly, "Do not fear, we will not attack nor will we take any further steps forward. You're safety is my current top priority."

Suddenly the elder man with the witch's hat steps behind Aragorn and peers at me with curiosity in his eyes. He speaks gathering everyone's attention to him, "My dear, I know you are frightened but Aragorn has spoken truly. I am Gandalf the Grey, and I promise you that nothing nor no one will come to harm you."

I stare at the four men before me, "Cassandra. My name is Cassandra."

The elder man looks at me in awe, "Cassandra, such a lovely, yet foreign name to me. From where do you hail if I may boldly ask?"

I harden my face forcing my fear to subside, "How about I ask the fucking questions around here? Where are we and what the hell is going on?"

The elder seems to not be so easily unsettled by my words, "I do not quite understand your question my lady."

"Don't do that 'my lady' crap! What I want to know is, how is it we were at our University in New York City and then suddenly wake up and find ourselves here in this godforsaken forest with odd looking medieval men and children?"

Two of the tiny children marches in front of Aragorn and sneers up at me, "Oy! We are not children, we are hobbits! Calling us children is very offensive."

I peer down at the two young boys and find that indeed they are not boys but very tiny men with large bare hairy feet and tiny pointed ears. _What the hell? _"Who are you people?" I ask in horror, tightening my grip around Lisa's frail body an my hand around the knife.

I gaze over to the blonde archer and look more closely at his features. His crystal blue eyes stare intensely into my own, his skin is light in tone and his platinum blonde hair holds braids within them, tucked behind his pointed ears. _He's not human, he is an incubus. _

I take a step backwards and pull Lisa to me. I look quickly to her and she recognizes my sudden change in behavior. At first I am protective, but now I am shaken as a leaf. Lisa taps my hand and makes me look to her. "_What is going on? What is wrong?"_

"_They are not human. They stand with an incubus." _

Lisa glances at the archer then at the children soon her features become emotionless. "_Are you sure? He does not look threatening."_

"_Oh course_ it,_ does not look threatening. Incubus will tempt you with their looks and ask you to lay in bed with them, before they eat your soul in your slumber."_

The dirty blonde man with the broken nose exclaims, "What are they doing?"

The elder looks to us in question, "They are speaking in a tongue that I have never seen before, this is truly remarkable."

I ignore their discussion of us and plea to Lisa, "_Come we need to go. I do not trust that soul eater, or any of them for that matter." _I pull Lisa and take a few steps away from the campsite, once I am sure we were far enough to make a break for it I quicken my pace, but instead of fleeing from them, I find myself on the floor unable to move. I have no idea how much time had passed, but one second I am walking and the next I am on my back, while Lisa's shaking me to wake up.

"_I am okay, just got a bit dizzy." _I force a smile to her. Tears start to well up in her eyes but she just forces herself to stay calm.

"_Will you help me up?"_

Lisa nods, walks behind me, ignoring the prying eyes and lifts my upper torso in a sitting position. But as soon as I am sitting upright Lisa gave a large gasp and covers her hand over her mouth staring in shock.

"What is it?" I cough and sign to her my question to her, realizing that I had spoken instead. Lisa just shakes her head in shock, and starts to whimper. I look down at myself and can see the cut on my leg is now once again pooling down my thigh onto the ground.

Aragorn takes a step forward toward us and I glare at him putting an arm around Lisa's legs, preparing to stand and attack if needed. But Aragorn put his hands up and slowly walks forward showing that he has left his sword unattended on the ground. "You seem to be injured, I only wish to help aid you. If you will allow me to at least view your wound that is all I ask."

Lisa looks back and forth to Aragorn and I, "_What did that man just say?" _She asks me.

I do not look away from Aragorn as I sign in return, "_He wishes to view my leg and heal the wound."_

Lisa looks shocked then overjoyed and walks quickly over to Aragorn, slowly grabs his arm pulling him to my side. His comrades all shuffle in place from Lisa's movement but then relaxes ever so slightly as they know she's not the threatening one.

Aragorn stops in step and looks back and says, "If you could please give the Lady some privacy as I am sure having nine prying male eyes on her is not pleasant. Do not worry I do not feel threatened and nor will you need to. Please just give me some time alone with them." The incubus stirs a bit in place but then nods and turns with the rest of the group giving us some space. I breathe out a large gasp of air finally for the first time since I have seen the incubus before me and feel a bit calmer.

Aragorn then walks over to my feet and looks at me intently in my eyes, "Will you allow me to see that wound?" I look at Lisa and she nods in encouragement as she understands what he is asking. I trust Lisa's judgment, but that does not mean I trust this man. But, since I am unable to move and am in need of any aid I can get I nod slowly and allow him to walk beside me.

Aragorn silently scowls at the view of my leg with Lisa's pink shirt strips wrapped around tightly. Even from just a glance I can feel it pooling and seeping through my makeshift bandages, through dance shirts material. He looks to Lisa and asks, "What is your name my lady?" Lisa looks to me, her face written in confusion on what he was asking.

"Her name is Lisa. She is deaf and cannot hear nor can she speak well."

"I see." Aragorn nods to Lisa and holds out his hand for her to help lower me back down to the ground. Lisa gratefully understands what he is asking and helps me down to a lying position, then returns to Aragorn's side.

Aragorn slowly unwraps the makeshift bandages and after a few moments, reveals the large jagged wound. I feel myself wanting to throw up from the sound of the bloody cloth wraps being pulled off of my left thigh, but force the feeling to subside. I take steady deep breaths and start counting in my head backward from one hundred.

_One Hundred. Ninety-nine. Ninety-eight. Ninety-seven._

I hear Aragorn and Lisa take in a slight intake of breaths probably from the sight of my wound that is slowly bleeding out.

"Samwise!" Aragorn calls to someone from his band of companions. "Bring my pack and hand it over to Lady Lisa here I you would." He pats lightly on my shoulder, "If you will so kind as to inform her to grab it from him, I will be overly thankful."

I nod in agreement, much too tired to object in taking any of his orders and translate to Lisa. She smiles, grabs the pack from the person named Samwise, whom I cannot see as I'm facing the stars, and walks back handing it over to Aragorn. I realize that Aragorn is thinking of me and thought that I didn't need any more prying eyes, which is why he sent Lisa to meet halfway to gather his things.

Just barely out of my eyesight, I watch as Aragorn opens his sack and pulls out some bandages, a needle and thread, a bottle, and some type of plant. He places his hand softly on my head and speaks lightly to my ear, "This will be quite painful but just bear with it until I have mended the wound." I only give him a slight nod as I peer at his bottle. "Do not worry for this is only mead and the alcohol will cleanse the wound more than just mere water."

I look at him wryly, "Drink it for me just to ensure that it is safe."

He only nods understanding my thought process and takes a deep gulp of the mead. He then looks to me in question to continue.

I nod to him in acceptance, "Have at it."

Before he pours the mead onto my wound he grabs a small piece of cloth like a handkerchief, rolls it up and hands it to me. "For the pain and to help from biting your own tongue off." I took it with a slight smile and place the cloth in my mouth and bit on it ready for the pain.

Lisa takes my left hand kneeling beside me and keeps eye contact with me, while Aragorn pours the intense stinging liquid onto the wound. I want to scream my lungs out or bash my head against the ground to get away from the pain. _It hurts so much! _But Lisa's eyes keeps me strong and the only sound that leaves my lips are a few moans and hisses.

After he pours the mead Aragorn then starts to take out this sort of weed looking plant and starts to place it within the wound. But Lisa suddenly grabs Aragorn's forearm and shakes her head with a questioning look in her eyes. Aragorn then replies calmly "This is milaths, a plant that contains strong healing properties. In order for the wound to start it healing process, I would highly recommend it."

I take Lisa's arm back and look to her deep in my eyes, _It will be alright _I soothed her using my eyes. Lisa then smiles apologetically to the man mending my wound and sits still beside me, gazing only in my eyes once again.

"You seem to have been in quite a excursion to earn such a terrible wound. From what I see, you have a few muscle tares within the leg."

I scoff beneath the muffled cloth, in annoyance. _Just as I thought._

Aragorn then takes out a needle and thread, "This will be the most painful but please bare it as the wound will need to be closed."

I nod in agreement and tighten my hands on Lisa encouraging her to look only into my eyes, as I don't want her to faint from peering at it. Suddenly the pain is shooting right through my thigh as Aragorn punctures the sensitive red skin and sews my large wound shut. I softly scream into the cloth as tears wells up in my eyes at the much too long process.

"There it is done." I finally open my eyes as I must have closed them and find that my wound is mended, finding strong bandages around my once exposed thigh. Lisa slowly helps raise me back up into a sitting position allowing the dizzying spell to subside from me before letting go. I look down at the man's handywork and nod in thanks and approval at his work.. Lisa sheds tears of happiness as she runs and hugs Aragorn tightly around his neck.

I pull her off by pulling on her pant leg and argued that she shouldn't be jumping on strangers.

She smiles that cheesy smile of hers and replies, "_A man is not a stranger when he has seen your foot to his face and yet carefully mends your wounds for you out of kindness."_

Aragorn coughs from the sudden hug but smiles and looks back at me. "Can you stand my lady?" He reaches his hand out to me but I am hesitant to take it.

I look up to Lisa now standing above me, "_Can you grab that crutch I left by the tree?"_

Lisa nods and immediately walks over to our tree and grabs the old crutch with Lisa's shirt still wrapped around the top. She then rushes back to my side and hands me the crutch to my left hand and with the help of Aragorn I am now standing straight.

I look down at my buckling legs, but am thankful to find that I can still use them. I do not look at Aragorn straight in the eye, but I give him a curt nod, "Thank you."

Aragorn gives me a slight bow of the head and replies, "But of course. Are you able to walk?"

I nod once again, "I've got it."

"Well at least have some supper with us. It is all that we can do as repayment for how harshly we acted." Aragorn motions a sign of food and Lisa is practically bubbling. No matter where you are everyone knows that sign. We haven't eaten for the past day from walking and I know that after all of the blood loss I need as much strength that I can get.

"Alright." I look over to Lisa, "_Don't have that incubus anywhere near you. After we eat, we are gone." _Lisa just nods knowing that there's not much to change my mind and walks beside me as I follow Aragorn.

We round to the camp fire as Lisa and I kept close hip to hip. The band of companions are sitting around a small campfire, quietly talking amongst themselves while eating from their bowls of, what looks to be, beef stew. My stomach hurls yet again for what those bowls has to offer, but I just clench my hands into fists in order to keep myself from springing into one of the kids, _or hobbits_, food.

Seven pairs of eyes suddenly look toward our direction and freeze Lisa and I into place. After a few seconds I finally register that there are a pair of eyes that seem to be missing, and to my luck the incubus is nowhere in sight. "_I hope it does not come back anytime soon."_

"My friends," Aragorn takes the prying eyes off of us, to his own direction, "May I introduce Lady Cassandra and her companion Lady Lisa." He gestures to us before returning his gaze to his companions. "They have traveled a long way and are weary and hungry from their travels. For this evening I have invited them to join us for dinner before they set foot to where ever they may wish to go. Lady Cassandra is also very wounded and is in need to gather up as much strength as she can get."

One of the small hobbits starts to interfere, "She attacked us and now you want to invite her to sit and dine with us?"

Aragorn clears his throat before continuing, "Lady Cassandra was in no position of attacking but rather defending Lady Lisa. I assure you that if Lady Lisa had not been in a position that peered to be life threatening that Lady Cassandra would not have sacrificed her life in jumping out of that tall tree and willingly fight against three men to ensure the safety of her companion."

The man with the dirty blond hair and broken nose stands and glares with questionable eyes "And what do you make of that secret tongue they speak to one another. That is no language that I have not ever heard of nor seen in my lifetime or anyone else's I am sure."

"I do not know the exact name of the language that they speak but from what I understand, it is a language that only Lady Lisa speaks to understand, for she is unable to hear nay speak with mortal tongue."

The elder wizard, Gandalf, spoke through his pipe, "Truly remarkable." Everyone just stares in silence before the wizard man speaks again, "Well don't just stand there, how about you young ladies walk on over here and have yourself a bowl of Balin's spiced beef, I assure you the taste is most delightful to one's empty stomach."

I look over to Lisa beside me and give her a questionable look, she in turn gives a small nod and nudges me forward toward the warm fire and what the bowls have to offer.

"Please sit here." Aragorn gestures to the empty log to the right of us and I am thankful that we will not have to sit so close to these strangers. Lisa helps me sit down and then she in turn sits very close to me, practically sticking to me like velvet, on my left. Even though she didn't have much fear in face, her body told me that she is way past her comfort zone. I grab her hand and give it a slight squeeze to reassure her that everything will be okay. _I will not let anyone hurt her._

I quietly peer around the campfire and find that indeed, the incubus is nowhere to be found and for that I am grateful. My tense shoulders relax ever so slightly as the soul eater will not be feasting anytime soon.

"My Lady" I peer down at Aragorn's hands and found that a bowl of, _what was it called, Balin's spiced beef?_ And I look over to Lisa on my left finding that she is swallowing down what the bowl's contents offer. I look back to the bowl presented to me and gladly take it with a slight smile as a gesture of thanks before Aragorn returns sitting next to the broken nosed man.

I take the makeshift wooden bowl and spoon and take a small bite of the stew looking meal and found that it is in fact beef stew with a hint of cinnamon spices just like my grandmother would make. Suddenly I am following Lisa's actions and delve into the bowl as my hunger cries out for more. In less than a minute my bowl is empty and my stomach silently cries in frustration for more. But before I can register a thing another bowl is handed to Lisa and I, and we start to devour its delicious contents as well.

I take a slight look up back at the group and found that all of the men and hobbits, _I still have a hard time believing in that, _were all smiling at us as if Lisa and I are adorable little starving children. I take another bite and grab Lisa's empty bowl and hand it over with a muffled 'thank you' slightly embarrassed for eating so absurdly in front of the men.

Lisa taps my arm in order to grab my attention, "_Will you interpret for me?"_ I arch my brow at her at the fact that she wishes to speak to the men before us but give her a slight nod knowing that I should never silence her because she cannot speak.

I hold up my finger to her telling her to give me a minute and I turn to the band of companions before us. "Lisa wishes to say something if you would please allow her to speak freely."

The broken nosed man scoffs but immediately is cut off by Gandalf, "Go right ahead my dear, I am sure you can be of help and interpret for us, for we are unfamiliar with the language you share." I give a slight nod and look back at Lisa with a questionable look in my eyes waiting for her to speak her mind.

Lisa took a deep breath, then faces the men and hobbits with a smile before she starts signing while I interpret alongside of her. "_I would like to thank you for your hospitality and aid. It is not every day that one would offer a bowl of stew to such odd looking strangers let alone mends a stranger's wound without asking for anything in return."_

Everyone around the campfire gives Lisa their full attention, listening to my every word while watching as Lisa speaks her mind. I find that these men are no longer on edge from our presence but look at us with mere curiosity. That is the effect that Lisa always seem to have on people, everyone seems to be calm and content around her whereas with me every gets quite riled up.

"_I am sure that you are all very curious as to who we are and how we ended up here in such an odd manner. To be honest, Cass and I have no idea how we came to wake up in a place that seems to be quite different from the world that we once lived in before. I have been pondering in thought since the time I awoke and have found no solutions to any of our questions. But one thing I am very certain is that we are lost and are very uncertain of where we have ended up." _

Lisa took in a deep breath before continuing, "_I have many questions for you as I am sure you have for us, and so I have a proposition to make. A question for a question, you answer any questions that we have and we will comply to answer yours." _Lisa straightens her back as she finishes and she squares her shoulders facing the men before us.

Aragorn is the first to speak and I sign back to Lisa, "I believe that is a delightful idea. I too have a few questions that I would like answered." He looks to his companions for assurance and they all comply before he turns back towards Lisa and I. "Ladies first."

Lisa gives me a small smile before facing back to the men. "_Firstly, it seems that I do not know who you are or whom to call all of you by, currently you are all just a group of men in my eyes."_

Aragorn blinks for a second and then smiles, "But of course my lady, it only seems proper that we introduce ourselves." He then stands before us and gives a slight bow with his right hand upon his chest. "I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn." He stops and give me a few seconds to interpret for him, "And these here are my companions, Boromir, son of Denethor, the ruling steward of Gondor." He gestures to the broken nosed man before us, then moves to Gandalf, "Gandalf the Grey, and our master Dwarf Gimli son of Gloin."

I pause in my interpreting and glance at the short red bearded man, before continuing my signing. "_He is a dwarf."_ Lisa looks at me wide eyes and then looks down at the man claiming to be a dwarf. But she shakes her head slightly and gives the dwarf a large smile before looking back at Aragorn, encouraging him to continue.

Aragorn seems pleased by Lisa's reaction and continues with his introductions, "And these young chaps here are, Pippin, Merry, Sam and Frodo, hobbits from the Shire." Frodo is the one who catches my eye as he is the young hobbit who holds a look of an empty soul, a person who holds very heavy burden upon his shoulders. A look I know too well. Lisa gives a bright warm smile at the hobbits and waves to them in a gesture to say 'hello'.

Suddenly I feel my hairs lift up from my arms and the back of my neck, my heart rate quickens its pace as I feel a presence behind me. I immediately know what it is before anyone looks in its direction. _The incubus_.

"Ah, Legolas!" Aragorn smiles to the daemon behind me. "Manke nae lle?" Aragorn quirks his brow in question to the daemon, but soon smiles and shakes his head in a way that says he is done asking any questions to the soul eater.

I slowly grab for Lisa's hand but keep my face blank from any eyes as I do not want to show how much this creature is making me tremble in fear. Lisa tightens her grip in reassurance to me that everything will be alright, _But will everything be alright?_

The incubus, Legolas as it is name, walks before us and gives us a slight bow before looking deep into our eyes. To be exact, Lisa's eyes, as he avoids all eye contact from me. I suppress a shiver that came over me as the soul eater's melodic voice sings into the silent night as his somber gaze only to Lisa. "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Legolas of the Woodland Realm. I would like to apologize for my previous actions to you Lady Lisa, as I did not mean to act so out of term. For I now know that you were never a threat. Yet, I treated you as such and put you in a state that no woman should be in."

Lisa taps my hand and grabs my attention, I look over to Lisa leaving little movement from my head while keeping the Incubus in view. She gives me a questionable look and then signs to me, "_What did he say?"_

I slowly release my hand from hers ignoring the shaking of my hands and sign in return, "_The Incubus goes by the name of Legolas of the Woodland Realm. It gave a petty apology, if you can call it that, for how it put you in that life threatening position, and hopes you will 'forgive his- it's actions'."_

Lisa looks back at the beautiful Incubus and peers deep into his eyes. She slowly raises her hands and signs while I interpret for her. "_I was quite frightened, I will have to admit. But I accept your apology. I too, would feel uneasy knowing that there was a stranger lurking in the woods in the middle of the night. So I can understand the reasoning of your actions."_

I began to protest against her for openly welcoming the soul eater, but am cut off as she has more to say, "_But know, that even though I may have forgiven you for your actions; that does not mean that I trust you in the slightest. I am the forgiving kind of woman but not a woman who easily forgets such matters."_

The Incubus does not even falter like I expected it to have, but rather sighs in relief and smiles to Lisa, churning my stomach in the process. "That is all that I ask of you, tis trust to be gained and not openly given on any principle. That is something that I believe in with my entire being. Thank you."

Lisa nods to it as I finish my interpreting and gives the demon a kind smile, which is more than what it deserves. She then turns to Aragorn who is sitting on the log once again with a pleased look in his eyes. "_I have given you my word, a question for a question. It is now your turn."_

Aragorn gives a slight bow and looks back to his companions before looking back to Lisa and I. "The one question that I believe we all share, is how you two young ladies ended up at such a location. Earlier your companion Lady Cassandra, mentioned something about a place known as 'New Vork' and a 'Hursity'. Is this a place from where you hail?"

"_Ah, You mean the 'University of New York'. Yes, that is where we are from, our home. Judging by the look of your face, that is a place that none of you have ever heard of. Am I correct?"_

Aragorn just shakes his head, "No my Lady. Tis not a name that I, nor my companions, have ever come across with."

Shock forms on Lisa's face and she looks to me, "_What does this mean? Did we go back in time or something, like in some weird sifi-movie?"_

"_If we did go back in time, then where the hell did all of the magical creatures go? Candy Land?"_

Lisa ignores my snippy comment, knowing that I am just letting off some steam, and ponders on the thought, "_Maybe when that lightning struck down on us, we were sent into another world or another dimension like leaping through space and time."_

I look at her dumbfounded, "_Lisa I don't think that-"_

Suddenly, Lisa disappears before my eyes and I am consumed in darkness. Before I force the urge to scream for Lisa, I hear a velvet-like voice of a woman in my head, _My warrior, my little puppet of war. You will be the changing course of battle within this new world, and will see life and death through my eyes._ I force my eyes shut wanting the skin crawling voice to go away and open them finding Lisa, once again before me, with a look of concern and a hint of fear in her eyes.

Lisa looks straight into my eyes and I can practically read her mind, _Are you alright? What just happened?_

I give a slight wavering chuckle, "I'm fine, just suddenly got this blasted headache."

Lisa's brows knit together in concern then she places a hand on my forehead. I immediately lean into her palm welcoming the cool feeling of her skin. "_Oh my God Cass, you're burning up!"_ Lisa signs frantically at me.

"I'm fine Lisa." I snap at her without meaning to, but feel much too exhausted to apologize.

Aragorn stands and walks slowly over as the Incubus thankfully moves away from us, and kneels down next to me, with the same look of concern on his face. He brings his hand up to my face and I lightly swat it away, barely even moving his hand an inch as my limbs are so very heavy. But Aragorn ignores my protest and places his palm upon my sweaty brow as Lisa had done.

"By the nine," Aragorn gruffs in annoyance, "It appears that you are far from fine, as you have a fever that any man would be crying out for the pain to cease."

Gandalf, the old man in the wizard's robe, stands with the support of his staff and walks over towards us. "Allow me." Before I know what he is doing the man lightly taps the top of his staff which contains a small crystal at the tip, atop of my head and then places his left hand on my head and starts to murmur an inaudible chant.

Suddenly I feel my intense fever just disappear, my vision and hearing is ten times better and I no longer have the feeling of the air being so heavy on my bare limbs.

I place a hand upon my forehead to ensure that the fever really has gone down. "What the hell?"

Yep it is completely one hundred percent official, I have gone mad and God himself has damned thee. I am surrounded by magical creatures, gruff looking medieval men, and a magical doctor, if only there isisa tornado or a tardis around to take me home.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lisa's mouth hangs open as she looks to me in disbelief. Without saying a word she reaches out and places her palm upon my forehead once again, to feel for the fever that now, no longer exists. "_How is this possible?" She signs in shock._

I look back to the men before us all standing or sitting around the illuminating campfire. _This has to be a dream. _I hesitantly look down to my bandaged thigh. _A very painful scary dream. How is any of this real? What are we going to do? What about school or Uncle Jim and Aunt Sara? How can we get home?_

Gandalf, the magic doctor, clears his throat and slightly shuffles his feet gathering both Lisa's and my attention. "I wish I can be of help to your distress. But I am sad to say, I do not have the answers you seek. It appears that you are indeed not from these lands. How you have come to stand here, that is a mystery to us all."

I look up to him with a glare speaking clearly in a low tone, "Then who can be of actual help, if not you?"

The old man just sighs with a look of pity, "Regretfully, I do not believe anyone within this realm will be of help."

"Realm?" The broken nosed man, Boromir, stands with his brows knit together, "You mean to tell us that these women are not even from this world. That they have once resided somewhere beyond middle-earth but have somehow crossed a line and traveled to our lands?"

"Yes. And I do not believe that they will be able to return to whence they came."

I turn to Lisa as I feel the heat drain from my cheeks. She looks to me with the same expression, telling me that she understood exactly what the magic man had said. "_We can't go home? We are stuck here in this-" _ she gestures around us, "_this nightmare?"_

I grab her shaking hands to gather her complete attention to me. "_I will not rest until we have found a way home. Do not lose hope. No matter what this magic man has to say about it, we will find a way."_

Lisa takes a deep breath then nods and slightly smiles at me. She then looks to Gandalf and signs to him while I translate in the background, "_So then what do you suggest we should do?" _She looks up at him in question with her pleading mossy green eyes.

"I believe my dear, that it would be best for Lady Cassandra and yourself, to be prepared for a long stay. The both of you should look for a place where you can reside comfortably till you find the answers that you seek."

Lisa ponders in thought for a moment before looking back to the old man, "_Do you have a map?"_

Aragorn immediately stands and walks out of the circle to a small pony that I never realised has been standing, tied to a tree. He opens a pack attached to the pony's saddle and walks back with a large piece of parchment in his right hand. Once he's standing in front of us, he kneels down to the ground and unravels the map before our feet. Then stepping to the side, he allows the campfire to provide the light needed to read the map.

Lisa and I gasp in unison as we look down at the old tattered piece of parchment. The map is unlike any map we have ever seen. Nothing held a single representation of a country we knew, let alone a continent. The map held many foreign looking names that I have never seen before nor would I imagine Lisa to have.

Lisa takes a big gulp of air before signing back up to Aragorn, "_Where are we located?" _She then gestures down to the map. But before I can interpret, Aragorn is already kneeling beside me and points to the center of the map.

"This is our current location." Aragorn then huffs in exasperation as he looks at the yellowed parchment. I look up to him with my brow cocked in question. "The closest civilization to us is Swanfleet."He points to few inches away at the name Swanfleet, "But the distance is much farther then one would expect."

I refrain to roll my eyes at his obscurity in revealing anything, "So how long are we talking? Three days, maybe four?"

Aragorn does not look to me, "If you are fast in step, you can make their borders in three weeks time."

My mouth drops at his words, "Three weeks?! Don't you have any sort of transportation, like a car or even a fucking bike?"

Aragorn furrows his brows at me with his grey eyes laced in confusion, "I do not know of what transports you speak of but no. The fastest speed of transport we have is by horse though we are accompanied with non but a small pony who carries the majority of our load."

I pinch of the bridge of my nose refusing another migraine to take control. _Three fucking weeks. The nearest thing to a town and a bed is three fucking weeks away. _I can hear Lisa shuffle beside me in agitation wanting some answers from me. But she did not press by touching me, knowing that I needed a moment to think

_Okay so we have three weeks minimum, over twenty-one days to travel by foot across the lands. So over fifteen hundred miles of land to cover. We have a pocket knife, a can of pepper spray, a water bottle, one shirt, deodorant, and I believe three pieces of gum in my backpack. We do not have any food, camping gear, extra clothes, or even a simple tooth brush. Neither Lisa or I have any of the proper survival skills that are needed to travel that long of a distance either. The positive is that the body can last over three weeks without any food, as long as they have water. But, the mind can only remain sane for so long. _

After some more rattling thoughts I look to Lisa, "_The closest civilization is over three weeks away, on foot. About the same distance it would take to walk to Kansas from NYC."_

Lisa's jaw drops in an instant.

I gave a slight nod in agreement with her reaction, "_And without the proper resources and equipment, I do not believe that we will be walking through their borders within a month." _ I refrain to mention the huge possibility of death, but can read it in Lisa's eyes. _We wouldn't last a week._

Lisa looks to Aragorn with her eyebrows knit together, "_So what do you suggest we should do? Can you help us?"_

Aragorn listens to my voice but looks only to Lisa before clearing his throat and replying. "I do not have your answers of yet. For I must speak with my company before any action on our part is taken."

I interpret in the background for Lisa as she gives a few nods in understanding. "_Of course that is understandable. We will give you some time to speak with your friends privately." _ Lisa then stands and helps me to stand up straight, with the help of my crutch as my support, then looks back to the company. "_Just let us know when you are finished."_

I keep my face neutral from shock of Lisa's open trust to these men and follow her to the outskirts of the camp standing outside of earshot. I raise my hands to question her, but she shakes her head forcefully telling me with her eyes to _shut up_.

I furrow my brows at her in question but nod my head once in acceptance.

After a few minutes of waiting, my leg starts to tingle from falling asleep after standing in one position for so long, so I start to slowly pace back and forth to keep the blood flowing. Another ten minutes pass and I start to get annoyed and very anxious. _What if it's a trap? Maybe they are forming a plan right now to jump us when we least expect it and attack us when we are most vulnerable. _

I start to bite the inside of my cheek at the thought. But then stop my pacing as Lisa places her delicate hand on my shoulder. I look to her with worry, but find that she has a reassuring smile on her face and squeezes my shoulder as if to say, _it's going to be okay._

I give her a shy smile in thanks and then look to the men in the distance past the campfire all banded together speaking in hushed voices. I gave a small huff as my patience starts to really wear thin but decide to bare with it. But after another ten minutes of waiting, the men finally turns to us as Aragorn calls out, "Lady Cassandra and Lady Lisa, if you would be so kind to rejoin us."

Lisa and I walk back towards the campfire and sit back down where we once were. Once doing so we then look up to Aragorn with identical questions in our eyes.

Aragorn spoke shortly, "To make matters simple, we have come to the agreement, that if you so choose to accept, you may travel with us for a short time before we must part paths. Swanfleet is not on our course but we will be passing due east of it, and once we do near it's borders, we shall point you in the right direction."

I look to Lisa with question in my eyes and sign to her, "_Do you really think we should trust them? What if it is a trap?"_

"_Well do you have a better solution Cass?" _She cocks her left brow up at me, "_I believe we can trust them."_

"_Well I do not trust that Incubus." _I state firmly, keeping the fear from showing on my face. But as much as I try, I know Lisa could see it in my eyes.

"_I know that Aunt Sara told you all of the stories about them, but do you really believe that that man is one of them?" _ She openly questions me. "_I mean for all we know he could just be an ordinary handsome man with really pointy ears. Did you ever wonder if your Aunt just told you those stories to help you cope with what happened?"_

I refrain from grinding my teeth together in annoyance and keep my face blank from emotion. "_Lisa you know that I have seen them before. You were there remember?"_

Lisa just gives a big sigh and shakes her head, "_Cass, we need their help. We can't survive long without them. I will keep my distance from the-" She looks over to the Incubus, " From Legolas. I will stay away from him, if that will help to calm your nerves. But I have this strong gut feeling that this is our best chance. We will be fine. I believe it."_

My shoulders relax slightly from their tense position at Lisa's reassuring words. But I still cannot fully accept the idea of traveling with these men and fictional creatures.

"If I may," Aragorn once again gathers Lisa's and my attention, "If you so wish, you may make a decision in the morning. For the night, we will gladly welcome you to our camp, and have you rest by the warmth of the fire. My companions and I plan to set foot past first light, but till then, you may think upon your decision."

Lisa smiles to him once I finish interpreting then looks to me with that cocky brow of her's knocked up high. "_Does that sound good enough for you?"_ She then pulls her perfect puppy dog face that always seems to win me over. I notice Aragorn shuffling on his feet at her pleading face, out of the corner of my eye. _She now has him in her grasps._

I huff at her in annoyance, but give a curt but firm nod. Lisa smiles brightly at me then looks to Aragorn and gives him a polite nod as a gesture of acceptance and thanks.

Aragorn smiles brightly and I can see his shoulders slightly relax as well from our answer. "I am glad." He then turns to his companions who are all now sitting or standing beyond the other side of the fire. "The Ladies have agreed to join us for the night. Merry, Pippin, if you gentlemen would be so kind as to gather two covers from Bill's back, for Lady Lisa and Lady Cassandra."

One of the strawberry blonde _hobbits, _jumps up in excitement and not two seconds later, the other rushes behind. I watch as the hightail to the now skittish pony, Bill. _They remind me oddly of Lisa's little twelve year old brother, Christopher_. Lisa giggles beside me, and I can tell just by glancing at the side of her face, she thought the exact same thing.

The company starts to disband, and move on with gathering their things preparing for sleep, which I notice that the Incubus is no longer in sight yet again. But, Aragorn remains by our side waiting for the boys to return with the _coverings. _Within a few seconds the boy return with flushed cheeks from running in excitement and being out of breath, with grey wool blankets in their hands.

One of the boys hands me a blanket, and the other hands one to Lisa's open hands. I watch as she takes it gladly then sign to him brightly with that dazzling smile of hers. "_Thank you very much Mr. Pippin." _ I look to her in wonderment, how she can tell them apart and remember their names is beyond me.

The hobbit, Pippin, then knits his brows together in question and hesitantly look to me. Lisa lightly jabs me at my side and I immediately register what I am supposed to do. "Lisa says, 'Thank you very much Mr. Pippin." I then look to the one before me, trying to ingrain his face in my memory, "And thank you Merry for the blanket."

Merry's cheek pinken slightly but gives a slight bow to me. Then he looks to Pippin beside him, "Come on Pip. Best not disturb the ladies much longer."

Pippin shuffles back and forth on his feet in place and hesitantly looks to Lisa, then to me, then back to Lisa again. I can practically read the indecision whirling behind his eyes. He then looks to me again, "May I ask Lady Cassandra, how would one say 'you are most welcome' in Lady Lisa's tongue?" His cheeks flare up, like a child's, but I force my lips to remain neutral.

Understanding what Pippin had asked, Lisa then jumps in, smiles brightly and gives him one easy sign, "_You're_ _welcome."_

Pippin blinks at Lisa a few times before looking to her hands, back to her eyes, then once again to her hands. Lisa fights against a chuckle and forms the sign once again but in a slower motion.

Pippin then slowly repeats the sign slowly to her in a hesitant stiff way, but with his palm faced down. He looks to her in approval, but she smiles largely and lightly places her hand on his wrist and turns his right hand upright, before sitting back and showing the motion for the sign once more. He smiles in thanks and then motions the sign in a more confident way, "_You're welcome."_

Lisa beams at him then claps her hands in delight.

Pippin grins from ear to ear and signs once again but with a chivalrous bow, "_You're welcome!"_

Merry steps closer to Pippin looking at his hands, "How do you do that Pip?"

Pippin beams at him then proceeds to teach his newly learned word. "To say 'you're welcome', you just need to place your palm facing up like so, and then swoop it close to yourself before presenting it to the one before you."

Pippin signs to Merry which Merry picks up immediately and signs back in return. "_You're welcome."_

They then look to us and in unison ask, "And how do you say 'thank you'?"

That breaks my stone face and I smile to the innocent boys as Lisa lightly laughs in delight. We both then in unison sign to them, bringing our hands to touch our chins before bringing them down as a gesture to the ones before us. "_Thank you."_

Pippin then looks to Merry and signs flamboyantly toward him, "_Thank you."_

Merry steps in automatically, "_You're welcome and Thank you."_

"_You're welcome." Pippin signs brightly._

Merry then look to me with excitement in his eyes, "What is the name of this language? Does it have one?"

I nod to him, "Yes, the language you just used is known as Sign Language."

"Sign Language." Merry tested the name on his tongue. "So it is a Language that uses signs and gestures to form conversation?"

I nod, smiling in approval, "That is exactly what it is Mr. Merry. It is the language that the deaf - those who cannot hear, can communicate to one another."

"But," Pippin chips in with confusion written in his eyes, "Can't Lady Lisa hear? How could she understand what I was saying if she cannot?"

"Pippin!" I jump slightly finding Aragorn has yet to leave from standing by my side. Aragorn looks down and glares at Pippin, who immediately shrinks away. "That is not appropriate to ask of them. You cannot just-"

Lisa immediately disrupts their conversation as she waves largely to the men and myself. She looks to me for one second and I nod in agreement, and I wait to interpret for her.

"_That is quite alright Mr. Aragorn. It is only an honest question." She then looks to Pippin, "Yes Pippin, I am deaf. But as perceptive as you are, you have noticed that I can understand what you are saying without having Cassandra interpret for me. That is because since you're standing so closely I can read your lips. Meaning I can see the words forming on your lips and can understand exactly what you are saying. There are times when you are speaking rather quickly that I cannot understand much of anything, but there are a few words that I can pick out. During the day I will be able to read your lips rather easily as long as your speech is paced well."_

Pippin's smiles brightly once more. "Now I understand." He then signs to her, "_Thank you."_

Lisa giggles lightly,"_You're welcome." _

I look around the campground and notice the other companions of Aragorn's are all watching our little banter, some with amusement in their eyes others with mere curiosity. I swallow down a cough feeling a bit awkward, being the center of attention again.

Noticing my discomfort Aragorn rescues us and ushers the boys away. "Alright boys, I believe that is enough pestering the ladies for the night. Why don't you both prepare for rest. We will need to rise and leave much sooner than you may realize."

They both smile up at Aragorn in acceptance, then wave to us goodbye before heading to the opposite side of the small camp.

Aragorn looks down to us sitting on the log. "You may rest wherever you wish. I hope that these men will not frighten you throughout the night. Some tend to sleep quite loudly so I will warn you."

Lisa smiles brightly and looks at to me with her shit-eating grin. "_That won't be a problem at all."_

I push her against the shoulder a bit, "_Yeah, yeah. Stop rubbing it in my face sleeping beauty." _I stick my tongue out at her which she returns teasingly.

I look to Aragorn and interpret for him. "That won't be an issue Mr. Aragorn. In fact I am quite positive Lisa will sleep like a rock."

Aragorn chuckles lightly, "That is quite a gift you've got there Lady Lisa. I'm sure many of the men would wish to have such a talent this night."

Lisa giggles lightly, which makes Aragorn and I smile fondly at.

Aragorn then takes a bow, "Then I shall take my leave. If you need anything please do not hesitate to ask." He then turns and leaves following where Pippin and Merry walked.

I huff, "_No pillows tonight."_

"_Awe, the poor baby." _ Lisa makes a poor pouty face and bats her eyes at me.

I roll my eyes at her, "Come on. Let's go find somewhere to sleep." I throw my borrowed blanket at Lisa's face, and stand up with my crutch as support, ignoring her pink tongue sticking out at me once more.

I peer around the camp and find a nice large tree that's close to the fire but the farthest away from the group of companions. _Perfect. _I point to the ground before the tree, which Lisa immediately places our blankets on the ground one stacked right on top of the other.

"_We'll use the bottom one for comfort and the top as a blanket. It's going to be a bit tight. I am warning you right now." _Lisa signs to me kneeling beside the make-shift bed.

"_We have to cuddle? Oh no, what will this do to our everlasting friendship? I'm not ready for this. This is going too fast!" _ I place my palm upon my chest and heave in and out theatrically. Then I turn my upper torso away from her and thrust my fist down close to my body as if I have claimed victory in secret, knowing that she can see everything. I turn to my head to her and give her my cheesy smile and bat my eyes at her.

Lisa just shakes her head suppressing a smile that's just waiting to burst, "_Dork."_

I laugh softly and then place my crutch against the tree, before obtaining some help from Lisa to sit on the ground. Once I am sitting on the grassy ground, Lisa pulls the top blanket away and slips in having her shoes already discarded on the ground beside her. She sits cross-cross as she pulls her hair tie off allowing her golden hair to drape perfectly down on her shoulders.

I smile lightly and shake my head, then start to take off my dance sketchers. Once I have my shoes off I shuffle on my but to sitting beside Lisa on my right. The pain surges through my left leg but I keep my facial expressions blank of emotion. Lisa look to me in question, and I can tell that she can read through my mask.

"_Just a bit tender. I'll be fine after some rest."_

Lisa just rolls her eyes at me. "_Why you decide to play it off like its nothing is beyond me."_

I say nothing as I ease myself into a lying position on my back and throw the blanket over my good right leg and torso, allowing my left leg to breathe openly. I then place my left arm beneath my head for support and open my right arm to Lisa.

Lisa looks to me inquisitively, "_If you start to hurt, wake me up. Okay?"_

I gave her a curt nod as I watch the light from the fire in the distance dance on her face. Even though she still smiles down at me and appears fine and well, I can see the dark bags beneath her eyes and know that she really is exhausted.

"Come on, let's get some sleep. We'll keep each other warm." I spoke quietly to her, but clear enough for her to read.

Lisa smiles down at me then pulls the rest of the blanket around her shoulders before resting on her side facing me with her head propped on my shoulder. I take my arm and pull her close to me to keep warm which she does not protest as she snuggles in like a cat.

Within minutes Lisa is fast asleep.

I look up at the stars at listen to my surroundings. The flickering of the hungry fire, the rustle of the trees in the wind, and the sounds of snoring from the men in the distance. I suppress to yell out at the man who calls himself a dwarf Gimli for his outrageous snoring that could scare a rapid lion away, and focus back on the stars.

_The stars even look different. I can't seem to find one constellation. Not Lyra, Cassiopeia, Orion, Taurus, or even the big and small dipper. _I let out a soft sigh. _How is any of this possible? What's happening at home? Are my parents, Aunt Sara, and Uncle Jim looking for us? Are they even aware we are gone? And what of Lisa's mom?_ I look down to sleeping Lisa in my arms. _Melody would be devastated if she lost Lisa._

_I want to get us home but, _I flash back to the lightning strike and then those words in my head, '_My warrior, my little puppet of war. You will be the changing course of battle within this new world, and will see life and death through my eyes.'_ . I shake my head and force the sudden emerging headache. _Whose voice did that belong to?_

I try to wrap my head around everything but every time I look back I am met up with a wall. As if something is blocking a single part of my memory, and every time I try to push at the vail, I am forced out and met with a stronger headache.

_Just sleep Cass. That's all I need to do. Just close your eyes and sleep. Think about everything tomorrow. Who knows maybe I'll wake up in my dorm room. _I smile at the thought. _Yeah maybe. _I close my eyes and allow my mind to drift away.

_I can't sleep. It's been well over three hours and I cannot sleep._

I keep from groaning at my intense migraine and take a deep breath of the cool night air. I lift my head slightly as I force my numb left arm to move out from underneath to wipe my bangs out of my face. I take the back of my hand and push the strands aside but then pull back and look at the back of my palm finding sweat all over it. _Gross_

I rest my head back down and close my eyes once more. Forcing myself to ignore the pain in my leg, my numb body, and my roaring head. I listen once again to the distant sounds of the fire, the trees, and Gimli's snoring. But off into the distance I can hear the softest sound of water.

_I should cool my head off, then try to get some sleep._ I look to Lisa beside me and find her still beautifully asleep on my shoulder. Her long golden hair cascading down behind her like a curtain _She really is Sleeping Beauty. _I chuckle lightly at the thought of my nickname for her fitting her perfectly.

I look to my surroundings and find that everyone is still fast asleep. So I slowly take my left arm and gently raise Lisa's sleeping head off of my numb right arm and softly place her head down to the ground. Once I do she starts to move and unconsciously crunches into a more fetal position, before returning to her silent rock slumber. I smile at her innocent face and take off the blanket from my body softly, before placing it carefully around her to keep her warm.

I then bring myself up into a sitting position and sit there for a moment of two to shake off the dizziness. I look over to the tree and find my crutch still there propped up against it. I close my eyes tightly, _One. Two. Three!_ I immediately force my right foot beneath me and push with my hands into a standing position without using my left leg.

Once I am standing straight, for the most part. I hop on my right foot around Lisa to the tree, ignoring the pebbles poking at my bare foot and grab the crutch. _I'd give myself an A plus for that. _I smile brightly at my achievement then look to Lisa's sleeping form. _I'll be back soon Lisa._

I close my eyes to listen for the distant stream and can hear that it is off to my left. I then look to the men across from the fire and find all but Aragorn sleeping. Aragorn is sitting on a rock smoking something looking off to the distance away from me.

_I guess he can't sleep either._

I release a sigh happy to know that it's just Aragorn who's awake and I follow in the direction of the distant sounds of the stream. After a few minutes I am met up with a crystal clear stream that looks so calm and untouched. I hesitate to touch the water but then I focus on the roaring migraine against my head, and ignore my hesitation. I immediately and ungracefully flop down on my butt. I bit my lip hard as the pain rips through my leg and take some deep breaths. _In through the nose, out through the mouth._

Once the pain has gone down a bit I shift my butt as close as I can to the stream and with the support of my right leg for balance I cuff the cold refreshing water in my palms and splash it up to my face. _Cold!_

I smile in delight as the migraine already starts to subside. _This water is magical. Thank you God. _I splash a bit more water at my face and my neck for good measure to allow the migraine to wash away.

As I continue to cool myself off, I feel the hairs on the back of my neck straighten. _Someone's behind me._ I move slightly to reach my knife only finding that it is not within my pant strap. _Shit I left it on the ground when I was getting patched up. _I pretend that I cannot sense the person as I mimic grabbing another handful of water, as I move my good leg beneath me.

In an instant, I pounce up using both of my legs, ignoring the screaming pain of my left, into a wobbly standing position. I then whip my crutch out in front of my body as a weapon. The one standing before me, does not surprise me in the slightest. _The Incubus has come to claim his prey._

* * *

_Like it? Love it? Any Suggestions or comments? Let me know and I will try to get back to you ASAP!_

_BlackStarsLight_


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

I stand in a defensive position, with my crutch before me, keeping my face as hard as stone. Refusing to make the first move, I glare at the handsome soul eater before me. The incubus stood there with a very harsh stone like expression that I could only guess was a mirror of my own face. His blond hair shines silver as the moonlight cascades over his lean body, making him appear angelic. _An angel of the night._

We stood there in a staring contest, neither one willing to crack first. I can feel the agonizing tension in my left leg, as I have my weight propped up on the balls of my feet, ready to pounce at any given moment. The tension in the air grows thicker with every passing second, and the sounds around me grows louder in turn. The stream, the trees, the crickets and the rapid beating of my heart are the only things that can confirm that time still exists and is moving.

_Don't move Cass. Don't even blink. Slip up even for a second and you are a goner for sure. _I take a deep breath to calm my nerves, before hardening my glare at the demon before me.

But after another minute of our standoff, I start to waver in my stance ever so slightly. _What is it waiting for? I'm just an easy prey in it's eyes. A little mouse who's leg's caught in a trap. Why not go in for the kill? Maybe it's a game, like a cat wanting it's prey to try to run knowing full well that it could end the poor mouse's life at any moment. _I rock my stance from one aching foot to the other. _Well this little mouse will not be so easily fooled. I'm not going to run and play this incubus' games. Not while I am still breathing._

The incubus must have taken note of my change in stance as its own shuffles into a more relaxed form. It then gives a short quick bow of the head and then speaks that melodic voice of its, making my skin crawl. "My apologies, my lady, I did not mean to startle you. Aragorn took notice of your leave of absence and requested that I may check up on you, to ensure that you are alright."

I refuse to show any emotion in my face, or even to allow my body to move a slight inch, as I just continue to glare at the incubus, with my '_weapon' _raised. It blinks once, then twice, waiting for my reply. But after seeing that I'm not going to break my silence or stance, it's mouth twitches ever so slightly at the corner, but then returns to its stony mask. _Was that just my imagination?_

I can feel it's eyes wonder silently up and down my body. Not in a creeper sort of a way, but more of an assessment of who I peer to be to it. _Sizing me up to see if I will be an easy catch or not, no doubt._ Once again I can feel it's eyes on my face but it will not look directly into my eyes. _Do I look intimidating to him? _I refrain to kick myself, _To 'it'?_

It slightly cocks it's head to the side then speaks in a tone as if it was commenting about the weather. "You fear me." A statement not a question.

I blink once, rock my weight on my feet, then tighten my grip on my crutch. _Breathe Cass, just breathe. You're still alive. You've still got a chance. Stay strong, for Lisa. Protect Lisa._ I feel a bead of sweat glide down the side of my face but force my body to stay where it is.

"Why?" It asks me. I can practically see the incubuses perfect brows knit together to masquerade confusion. _The perfect act, to make it's prey falter._

I force myself to take a long deep breath, to steady my heart. Once I have my heart under a relative steady pace, I slowly straighten my back and hold my head up high, hoping to peer intimidating in those gemmed-like eyes. I then lower my crutch to my side without releasing the tension in my left hand, ready to attack at any moment if needed.

Hardening my glare at the beautiful demon before me, I spoke sharp and clear as a knife. "I am not blind from your chivalrous acts as those around you, for I know what you are." I start to take firm paced strides up to the demon before me. "It is not you that I fear, but for Lisa's safety. So let me make one thing clear," I am now standing only a half a foot away from its chest touching my own, and look up into its deep crystal blue eyes with a sneer. "If you so much as take one wrong glance, one wrong move that suggests that you would harm Lisa, I will break every _fucking _bone in your body and throw you into the fire before you can muster a single word of plea."

The incubus tilts his head down to me and finally looks straight into my eyes. Whatever small amount of light that was contained in those heart piercing blue eyes, it is now gone. I force myself to not step back, and keep eye contact with it, leaving all emotions away from my face. _Don't show this demon that you are afraid. Breathe. Remember to breathe._

The incubuses face was a complete mask, but for that small moment, it allowed me to see everything that the demon feels within its eyes. _Hatred, anger, confusion, annoyance and frustration. _Then they turn to a look of determination, before fading back to their dull, but piercing, emotionless eyes. _I've lit a fuse, no doubt._

I wait a few long moments, to see if the Incubus will give back a retort that I can mull over, but sadly find that it's planning to remain silent. I take one step back and force a smile on my face, keeping eye contact with the incubus at all time. "Good. Now that we have a clear understanding, I have no doubt that everything will run quite smoothly." The corner of his eyes tightened ever so slightly and I can see his jaw getting a bit more tense. _Don't push it Cass. You don't know how long that demon's fuse is. Get out now before it's too late._

I start to take strong forced steps away from the demon and start walking determinedly to the direction of the campfire. Keeping my head high and forcing my legs to remain steady and strong. My shoulders remain tense as I can feel the demon's eyes on me, but I continue to push forward and refuse to look back. _Get back to Lisa._

"If we are to form negotiations," The demon's angelic words in the distance halt me in place. My heart starts to drum rapidly in anticipation, but I can't force my legs to move or even to turn myself around. "Then perhaps I should set a few boundaries as well." Not a second later I can feel a body of heat radiating behind me almost touching my back. _Oh shit. Shit, shit, shit, fucking shit!_

I hear a short intake of breath next to my right ear, and I am immediately shocked still in place. "If you come to harm any of my companions or pose any reason to be of a threat to them. Know that your friend will not be the one in need of protection. That I can make sure of." The incubus never touches me but I can practically feel it's intimidating words cutting through me like a knife.

My legs shake beneath me ever so slightly, but I force myself to take the first step forward back to the camp, refusing to allow the demon the benefit of installing fear into my heart. _Get away, then focus on breathing._

I quicken my pace to the campsite, ignoring the erupting pain in my thigh. I know that if I were to look down, my stitches will be ripped open and my new bandages will be soaked in blood. Once I am in sight of the campfire I look to where I had left sleeping Lisa beside the tree, but find to my shock broken nosed Boromir kneeling above her with his back to me.

_Oh hell no you don't! _I run-skip up to the man and once I am in arm's reach I throw my crutch down and grab hold of both of his shoulders, throwing him back away from Lisa. "I swear to god I am going to rip-"

"Tis not what you think." Boromir remained on his ass on the hard ground with his hands up in surrender. "Lady Lisa has been tossing and turning from what may be a horrid dream, and I only meant to wake her to make the unpleasant dreams cease." I take a hesitant look down to restless but sleeping Lisa as she tosses and turns back and forth in her sleep, her legs getting tangled in the warm blanket and her brow knit together covered in sweat.

I feel as the tension releases from my shoulders, "That is quite alright, Mr. Boromir. I will take care of it." Very slowly I kneel down as best as I can next to Lisa and prop her head upon my right thigh. Once I have her positioned to my liking, I start to comb my fingers threw her hair with my right hand and softly rub her back with my left. Immediately Lisa stops her thrashing and releases a soft baby like coo before falling back into a deep sleep.

I let out a deep breath of air and further allow the tension to release from my shoulders. _Thank goodness she is safe. _

I notice out of the corner of my eye Boromir gets himself off of the ground and starts to leave but then stops and turns toward Lisa and I. He stands there on the balls of his feet for a good thirty seconds before returning to his path back to the other side of camp. _If you are going to say something, say it, blondie. _But I hold my tongue as I am much too tired and I bring my focus back on Lisa.

Five minutes later and I can feel my hands starting to cramp up from the repetitive motion of brushing Lisa's hair and rubbing her back. I start to slow my pace and ease my hands away from her before kneading my hands together getting the blood flow to return.

"Lady Cassandra." I am not startled this time by Aragorn's presence behind me as I can practically feel his gentle but hesitant eyes on me. I give him a slight glance in acknowledgment before going back to work on kneading my hands. "Boromir informed me that you might have reopened your wound."

I look down at my thigh noticing that now the blood is pouring unto the corner of the wool blanket beneath me. _Well isn't this peachy? _I gruff in annoyance at the sight of it.

"May I mend your wound once more?" He asks me in a gentle soft voice, taking care not to wake Lisa. I give a light sigh, but nod in acceptance to his generosity and slowly lower Lisa's head once more to the ground and pull the covers back up to her shoulders, before accepting Aragorn's waiting hand to being pulled up.

"Come. We'll sit closer to the fire so I may have a better view of the wound."

I leave my crutch on the ground, much too tired to lean over and pick it up once more, and allow Aragorn to be my walking support to a nearby boulder by the tamed fire.

Once I am in a nice sitting position on the small boulder, Aragorn walks a few paces away and grabs his pack, before returning, kneeling before me. Placing his pack on the ground, Aragorn then slowly starts to undress my wound. I look away, staring intently into the glowing fire, ignoring the fact that I can hear every strand of cloth being ripped away from my bloody thigh.

Once the cloths are removed Aragorn grabs his mead along with his handkerchief from his pocket, and lightly applies it to the edges of the wound before wiping away all of the blood. "Regardless of the mild step back in your progress, the wound is healing rather nicely. I would say it should be healed within three to four days, if you keep from reopening the wound."

I laugh lowly at the thought, "Your optimism is a bit much Mr. Aragorn." I look down at the horrid wound to prove my point, but am stunned silent at the look of my thigh. Already the wound is no longer a large bruised bloody gash, but looks to be more like a long incision with the edges slightly inflamed. _What the hell? _I bring my hand down to the edges of the wound and press lightly, finding that the pain is still there but is now bearable. I feel as my jaw drops down toward the ground.

"Milaths holds very strong healing properties. The first time I witnessed its plant work wonders, I held the very face you do now." I immediately close my mouth shut and cough nervously to cover my embarrassment that's threatening to flame up on my cheeks. I then focus my eyes back on the campfire, trusting that Aragorn will stitch up my thigh well.

_Who knew this world would have herbal stimpacks? _I smile at my own fallout joke. _Goodness, after watching over Christopher during the summer for Lisa and Melody, I am now the one making the gaming references._

"There. It is done." I look done at Aragorn's work and find that my thigh is now clean, stitched, and wrapped up nicely in a bandage. I lightly trace my finger over the covered wound and give a slight smile towards Aragorn in saying thanks. Aragorn returns the smile before looking into my eyes with a serious look on his face. "You should get some sleep. Dawn will be here within the hour, and regardless if you plan on accompanying us, your body will need the chance to heal and strengthen once more."

I give him a curt nod and rise to my feet, pushing myself up with my hands off of the boulder, and stand there testing my weight on my left foot. Aragorn stands and reaches out for my left arm, but I pull back from his touch. "Thank you, for mending my leg. I can take it from here."

Aragorn's brows knit together in puzzlement as he looks at me, "Are you quite sure?"

I give him another silent nod, before slowly walking away back to the sleeping beauty Lisa. Very slowly with much more care, I bring myself down to the ground before laying next to Lisa and covering myself with part of the blanket. I look to her sleeping face and notice that her brows are once more, knit together with small beads of sweat upon her brow.

Slowly I lift her blonde head up using my left arm, and snake my right beneath her until I have her head once more upon my shoulder. After tucking her close to me I start to comb my fingers through her hair and feel her instantly relax in my embrace and unconsciously cuddles closer to me.

'_If you come to harm any of my companions or pose any reason to be of a threat to them. Know that your friend will not be the one in need of protection. That I can make sure of.' _The incubuses words echos through my mind, and I shudder at the memory.

_Don't think about that now Cass. Just try to get some sleep._

I close my eyes and force myself to relax my body, and allow the darkness to take me.

* * *

Outside of my consciousness, I feel a hand shaking my shoulder. "Lady Cassandra."

I force my hand to wave back and forth in the air, "Lisa, just let me sleep in peace." I spoke groggily but force my eyes to remain shut as I cuddle into my stiff bed. _God, did I drop my pillow again? Why am I so sore?_

I hear Lisa chuckle beside me, "Nay. Tis not Lady Lisa with whom you speak."

I immediately stiffen in place, and allow the memories of the past day to rush back to the front of my mind. "Mother fucker." Opening my eyes, I find Aragorn kneeling to the left of me. I look over to my right and find Lisa's spot to be completely empty.

_Lisa! _ I thrust my upper body into a sitting position immediately and prepare to attack the man kneeling next to me. The rays of the sun blinds me and I shake off the dizziness and blinding spots before my eyes, but I shake it off raising my fists to fight the man.

"Calm down, Lady Lisa is fine. She is just gathering some food for the both of you from Sam by the fire."

I look to the fire and find indeed that Lisa is kneeling beside Sam the hobbit, holding a plate in hand, smiling largely to him. Her hair is well tamed in a nice long braid draped over her shoulder, with the morning sun casting its rays on her, making her look angelic. I smile as I watch her. _Thank goodness she's alright. _

As if she could feel my gaze on her, Lisa turns her head and smiles brightly at me giving a slight wave with her hand. Once Sam the hobbit, places another spoonful of food onto Lisa's plate. Lisa smiles warmly and gives a nod to him in thanks, before striding back up to my side.

"_Morning sleepy head." _Lisa signs to me with her right hand as she places the plate of food on the ground before me. I peer down and find what looks to be eggs and two hot sausage links on the plate. Once the smell hits my nose, I feel my stomach grumble for what the food has to offer. Lisa then sits beside me on my right, grabs a sausage link for herself and takes the other and forcing it into my hand."_Eat."_

I take a small bite of the delicious sausage, and force myself to eat slowly and to enjoy it, instead of scarfing it down my throat in three seconds flat. As we lightly munch on our sausages Aragorn clears his throat and speaks clearly to us. "I will leave and allow you both to eat in peace and to speak in private. Just let me know when you both have come to a compromise on a decision. If you will be joining our company or setting on your own path, know that the choice is yours." Lisa nods in acceptance as Aragorn then stands and leaves walking back to the rest of the bustling men. I silently watch the men move and gather everything into place, as I finish eating my share of the eggs and my small sausage link.

Sam's pours water out onto the weakening fire killing the pulsing flames, while Frodo gathers all of the dishes and places them into a large hiking bag. Pippin and Merry roll up some blankets and then are placing them in a pile next to the pony, while Aragorn starts to tie some sacks onto the pony's back. To the distance I can see Boromir sharpening his sword with what looks to be a rock sitting next to Gandalf who is smoking a pipe in comfortable silence.

Past the company I can make out the figures of Gimli, the dwarf, and the incubus arguing over something that I cannot hear, but on the look of their faces I knew that they were definitely not close. _Well it looks like I've found a valuable source to go to when I need more information about this demon._

As if it could hear my thoughts the incubus sharply turns its head and looks straight in my direction. Even though I cannot see the creatures eyes I know that he is looking right at me. I give the demon a deep glare before turning my complete attention to Lisa.

I watch as she eats much slower than me and is staring at the ground, her eyes glazed over as she's lost in a deep thought.

I nudge her side with my elbow, and she blinks a few times before looking up at me with question in her eyes. But I can read past her mask easily and can see the fear behind it.

"_What's going on?"_

Lisa blinks once then twice, "_Nothing is wrong." _

Immediately I whack the back of her head with my hand, then cock my brow at her. "Would you like to try that again?" Lisa huffs in annoyance at me but then shrugs her shoulders."_They're starting up again aren't they? The nightmares." _I stated clearly, watching her every movement.

Lisa gapes at me, "_How did you-"_

"_Lisa you're my best friend. How can I not notice? You were tossing and turning throughout the entire night."_

Recognition hits Lisa's eyes_, "That's why you look so exhausted. I kept you up all night." A look of guilt crosses her face._

I shook my head, "_Trust me sleeping beauty, you did not keep me from my sleep. I'm just not used to waking at the crack of dawn." _ I smiled at her, "_Don't stress about it."_

Lisa just gives a small nod in acceptance, but says nothing else.

"_You wanna talk about it?"_

Lisa just shakes her head back and forth, then looks to me with apologetic eyes. I just give her a nod in acceptance and Lisa changes the subject. "_So what do you think about the company?"_

I give a large sigh. "_They seem to be quite nice and it wouldn't be a bad idea to travel with them. They have food, water, camping gear, and weapons for protection. But-" _I glance back to the incubus across the camp and find it looking to the distance in the woods keeping watch for anything.

"_You don't trust him. Legolas." Lisa states calmly._

"_It's not about trust Lisa. I'm-" _I swallow not believing that I'm admitting this even to Lisa, "_I'm terrified."_

Lisa takes a big breath of air. "_Cass, we are in a completely different world. One that I myself have trouble with believing that it's all real." _She looks down to my bandaged leg, and takes a big gulp of air. "_But this is real, this is our reality right now. We don't know if or when we will be getting home, but we need to accept it. _

"_This world is very different from our own. Back home there never were dwarfs, hobbits or supernatural magicians wandering about. We don't know anything about them. So isn't it possible that Legolas could be something entirely different from what you think of him to be?_

"_If he is an incubus, would these people really allow him to walk side by side with them, knowing that he is a soul eater? I'm not saying that your suspicions are wrong, I'm just saying that we should not jump to conclusions before getting to know him."_

I bite at my lower lip contemplating on the idea, but then shake my head, "_I still do not trust it."_

"_You don't have to trust him. But you should give him a chance."_

I raise my brows at her in surprise. "_A chance to eat my soul?" _

Lisa releases a large sigh in annoyance. "_No. Give him a chance to change your view, before you become more hostile."_

I refrain to scowl at the thought.

"_I will keep my promise and keep a distance from Legolas for now. We can also gather more information about him, along with the rest of this world from Gandalf and the other men. If we learn more about what we are dealing with, it may help us find a way to get home faster. _

_We will watch out for each other. And if it becomes too much or we need to separate away from them, then you and I can hightail away and find this civilization on our own. Okay?"_

I close my eye and pinch the bridge of my nose between my fingers, suppressing another headache to take control. I take a big shaky breath before speaking aloud knowing that Lisa could read into my submission from my body language."Okay."

Lisa places a reassuring hand on my shoulder, making me look back up to her. "_We are going to be fine Cass. I believe it. I know it."_ She gives me her hundred watt smile and I feel already a bit lightened.

I give her a smile smile, then nod my head. I start to stand noticing that I can practically stand with my full weight onto my left leg without the support of my hands or crutch. _This is still just way too creepy._

Lisa gapes at my movement and looks to my wrapped thigh. "_How?"_

"_Turns out Aragorn's weed, has super magical healing properties." _I smile at her shocked face.

Lisa smiles largely back at me then stands up beside me. "_Let's go and tell the men." _She grabs the empty plate from the ground and steps off to the side. I take a deep breath then start to gather the blankets by roll them up then hold them in my arms as Lisa makes her way to the hustling men in the distance. As I gather all of the blankets I watch as my pocket knife falls to the ground.

I smile largely at the knife with the feather etched into the black leather hilt. _Oh how I have missed you. _I reach down to grab the pocket knife and use my hand to wipe off the dirt and bits of dried blood off of it, before placing back inside the band of my _short-long _dance pants at my right hip. Once I pull my shirt back down to hide the knife from view, I quickly grab the blankets and hustle after Lisa.

As Lisa walks over to Frodo and hands him the plate, I walk over to Merry and Pippin kneeling down to the ground, handing them the two rolled up blankets. "Thanks again, for allowing us to use these. It was very kind of you."

Merry smiles up at me, standing next to Pippin. "But of course my Lady. We always carry extra covers with us. I'm just glad to know that they can be of good use."

I give Merry a smile back as I make to carefully stand watching as Aragorn walks up toward us. "Have you come to form a decision?"

_Right to the point then I see._

I feel a hand grasp my left hand. But I don't jump as I can feel Lisa's small delicate right hand in my own, and my muscles relax from their tight tension. I look to her with question in my eyes, knowing full well that she understood Aragorn's question. She looks deep into my eyes, and I suppress to shudder at how intense they look. She speaks to me through her eyes, promises of safety and protection. She then smiles to me and gives a slight nod as if saying, '_we will be fine. I promise'._

I take a deep breath and look back into Aragorn's grey eyes. "We would like to accompany you, if the offer still stands."

I watch as Aragorn's shoulders relax greatly and he takes a large sigh, then smiles to us. "I am glad to hear that. Gentlemen!" All of the companions wandering about the campground, including the incubus, stop and turn their heads to our direction. "Lady Lisa and Lady Cassandra have agreed to travel alongside of us till we reach the borders of Swanfleet. I trust that you all will be courteous and respectful towards them."

I carefully watch the incubuses reaction in the distance but its face is a complete mask, it just stands there and remains as still as a statue that I swear its not breathing.

"Wonderful!" Gandalf breaks my concentration and gathers everyone's attention. "Well then once everything is put to place I must encourage us all to start to set our pace for a long travel. We still have a long distance to cross, so we best not waste any more of the good days light."

Everyone nods in approval and soon the company is back in a buzz, moving to gather everything into place. _I wonder where they are planning on going?_ I watch as Frodo gives Sam a lend of hand by pulling his pack upon his shoulders. That's when a thought hits me. _Where is my backpack? Last time I had it was, when I climbed that tree. Right?_

I start to retrace my steps back to the tree in the distance and look up to the overhanging limb high up. _Yep. Lisa's right. I really am crazy for jumping out of that tree. _I look down to my tender thigh. _Well thank goodness I didn't break my leg. It's a miracle that that plant healed me so quickly. I just don't know how well it could help to mend a broken bone. _I lightly jab at the bandaged thigh. _This is still insane. _I hear someone snapping their fingers and I turn back to Lisa standing behind me.

"_What are you doing?"_ Lisa asks me with her head cocked slightly to the side with a smile on her face.

"_I'm looking for my-" _I look down and find my burnt backpack in her right hand. "_Oh." _Lisa just giggles at my reaction but hands over my pack. "_Thanks." _I peer down at the singed object from home.

My brows furrow in confusion, _How is it that my backpack gets burned up from the lightning strike and yet- _I flash back to waking up beside Lisa in the forest. _How is it that we were left completely unharmed?_

Before I could ponder more on the thought Lisa grabs my arm and pulls me forward. "_Come on Cass. We can't to have the men wait on us for forever."_

I smile at her shining enthusiasm and pull on my backpack over my shoulders walking briskly beside her. As we walk over the now empty campsite, I see that nothing has been left behind that would mention of there ever being a camp here. _Wow they must really know how to clean up. _

I look back to the tree that Lisa and I had spent the night by, and only find my makeshift crutch propped up against its trunk, the pink fabric of Lisa's old shirt ruffling slightly in the breeze. Once more I look down to my bandaged thigh not believing that it has healed so quickly to where I'll no longer be needing the crutch.

Leaving Lisa's side I hastily walk over to the crutch and kneel down beside it and start to dig a small hole into the ground in front of the tree. I hear Lisa steps behind me, but she just remains where she stands just watching me in silence. After digging a deep enough of a hole, I go to grab my crutch but Lisa beats me to it, and quickly grabs the crutch and kneels next to me.

Looking deep into each other's eyes, we share words of comfort and promises to one another without having to speak. Lisa takes the crutch and positions it with my help and together we place the end of the crutch into the ground and use the support of the dirt and rock around to keep it standing up firm. Once the job is done, Lisa and I stand back and I wrap my right arm around her shoulders as she places her head upon my right shoulder.

For a few moments the world is in complete silence. Time is still around us as Lisa and I think back to what we have lost and looking forward to the unknown that is to come.

Without even signaling or saying a single word to one another, Lisa and I look away and start to walk towards the waiting company in the distance. Refusing to look in any of their faces, not wanting to see a look of pity or resentment I stare off into the distance and continue my stride holding Lisa's shaking palm in my own.

_We are going to be fine. We will find a way._

* * *

_Like it? Love it? Any Suggestions or comments? Let me know and I will try to get back to you ASAP!_

_BlackStarsLight_


	7. Chapter 6

_Personal Thoughts_

"_Signed"_

"Spoken"

Chapter 6

"_Okay here's one. __Would you rather get a rash from a poor bikini wax job or have an entire eyebrow accidentally waxed off?"_

Lisa stumbles in her paced walk but quickly catches herself and resumes her stride beside me. She looks to me with a slight wince on her face, "_Rash. Definitely the rash. I don't want to have a missing brow for over a month. That would just look way too creepy. At least I can hide the rash, and it would only last a few days if anything."_

I let out a small snort, "_Yeah ditto on that one. But you know who should really think about having her brows removed?" _Lisa cocks her brow to me in question. "_Teresa from dance. I swear, that uni-brow could break lawn mowers in half. It is so huge! I myself have a hard time believing that she even has a face beneath it. If anything the God Almighty should send in a mini Moses to part that brow and rid all of man's suffering once and for all."_

Lisa lets out a throaty laugh and clutches at her stomach as tears start to well up in her eyes. I feel my lips tug at the corners into a small smile, finding comfort from the sound of Lisa's carefree laughter.

"_That is not a nice thing to say Cass."_

I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly, and continue my steady pace following the silent company of men and mystical creatures down the vast grassy plains, beneath the boiling sun.

"_Alright my turn. Would you rather take an ice cold shower in the south pole or not take a shower at all for a whole week?"_

I blink once in thought then gaze down at my sweat soaked blue dance top and the light layer of dirt that is caked over every inch of my skin. I look to Lisa and find that she holds a similar look of discomfort on her face.

In unison we raise our hands and sign in a firm agreement. "_Cold Shower." _We let out a small laugh and continue our silent game of 'Would you Rather' as we follow behind Aragorn's determined steps.

It's been four days since we have ventured off with the band of companions, and my high alert senses are starting to dwindle much to my disliking. Although I believe that these people have no ill intentions, I can't stop this lingering feeling of needing to be on guard at all times. It's as if the air itself is heavy and constricting on my body, and the constant feeling of eyes outside of the company are watching my every move.

But as time goes on I am finding that my body is slowly relaxing and that I am taking less and less notice of what is happening around me. When I am engaged in a conversation or my mind starts to go to deep thoughts, I am spooked by the sudden movement on the edge of my line of vision or the sudden snap of a twig behind me. My muscles tense and the hair on the back of my neck stand up high at every little thing, and it is starting to really shorten my fuze.

But even with my jittery nerves, I control my face and body's actions, keeping them as calm as I possibly can. Although from the occasional glance from the incubus, I suspect my act has not gone unnoticed.

"Lady Lisa!"

In our continued pace, Lisa and I watch as Merry and Pippin, run up to our sides with gleeful looks. Lisa smiles in adoration and waves in greeting to the little hobbits. Pippin strides in front of us walking backwards facing both Lisa and I as Merry canters next to me on my right. I watch in anticipation knowing that Pippin could trip at any moment if a rock happened to be in his path.

Pippin smiles brightly and starts to roll up his sleeves in excitement as he looks up to Lisa. "_Good day Lady Lisa. How are you?" _He motions each sign a bit hesitant, but I can tell from the movement of his hands that he has been practicing for a while now.

Lisa laughs lightly and responds with very slow hand motions. "_I am well Pippin. How are you?" _I look to Pippin in amusement as I see the little cogs in his head turning as he translates each signed word carefully. Recognition hits his face and he smiles brightly and responds very chivalrously, "_I am well, my Lady. Thank you." _

He then gives me a hesitant glance with question in his eyes, and I give him a curt nod in approval with my brows raised in amusement. Pippin beams in delight of my response, then looks back up to Lisa. "_How would one sign-" _ Pippin drops his hands but continues his backwards stride as he speaks carefully and clearly. "Would you like something to eat?"

Lisa releases her hundred watt smile, then chuckles lightly in amusement as Pippin regains his footing before continuing his easy tread backwards. She gives me a small glance and I comply by interpreting aloud for her. "_I will give you two phrases Mr. Pippin. The first is, 'Are you hungry?'" _Lisa mimics the sign three times before gesturing to Pippin.

"_Are you hungry?" _Pippin looks up to Lisa in approval, which she smiles brightly and nods in encouragement, then continues with her fourteenth lesson of the day.

"_Perfect. The second phrase is, 'I am very hungry"_ Once again she mimics the phrase three times before allowing Pippin to sign the phrase back to her. He signs both phrases a few times to himself before looking up to Lisa and signs the second phrase successfully.

"_Well done Pippin!" _Lisa then looks to my direction and waves at Merry. "_How are you Merry?"_

Merry gleefully smiles and replies in a much smoother tone, "_I am well my Lady. How are you today?"_

"_I am good, thank you." _Lisa then slows her movements much more and signs carefully. "_Are you hungry, Merry?"_

Merry watches in wonderment at the flow of Lisa's hands and blinks twice before replying, "_Yes Lady Lisa. I am-" _ He stops for a moment in thought, "_I am, very hungry?" _Merry's eyes knot together in uncertainty, but is immediately erased by Lisa's joyful applause.

"_You both are amazing! Why I have never seen such fast learners. You've even surpassed Cassandra in speed." _

I roll my eyes at my best friend beside me, "_Well I wouldn't have been such a slow learner if _somebody _didn't stop me in mid-sentence every other minute to correct my spelling."_

Lisa just shrugs her shoulder nonchalantly, "_It's not my fault that you were the level of a second grade speller at the age of fourteen."_

I look to Lisa with my jaw dropped flabbergasted at her accusation. "_Second grade? I believe I deserve far more credit than that."_

Lisa slightly tilts her head to the left as she looks to me with a cocked brow, "_Really? Then tell me, when in the world has there ever been a 'Z' in the word 'Apple'?_

I shake my head in annoyance, give no response to her comment and look back to the confused face of Pippin. "Lisa enjoys pestering me with her crude statements of my learning ability."

"Well I do not see how she could say that as you have already mastered Lady Lisa's Language."

I let out a small chuckle, then over exaggerate my articulated speech for sweet Lisa's sake. "Oh believe me, I am no master. Lisa makes sure that I am well aware of it."

Lisa smiles gleefully at my snide comment but remains quiet as we continue our endless hike through the plains.

After another half hour of mindless muscle screaming forward steps, Gandalf finally stops in his persistent pace and turns to the rest of us. "I believe that our legs are in well need of a rest. We shall stay here for but a few moments then we must continue our trek forward."

I look to Lisa in glee struggling to contain my own excitement, "_We are going to take a br-" _ before I can even finish my sentence Lisa releases a large sigh and quickens her steps into a full sprint up to the top of the rocky hill where Gandalf and Aragorn are now waiting for us all to catch up. I follow Lisa's lead and quickly catch up to her leaving the rest of the lumbering men and creatures behind us.

Once I make it to the top I release a large heavy sigh of relief and start to force my shaking legs to slow down. To my right I find a very welcoming large boulder basking in the sun beckoning me forward which I immediately comply. Sluggishly I plop down on top of the boulder lying completely back allowing the sun to warm the front of my body and I close my eyes and embrace the sun's warmth.

I continue to keep my eyes closed and the light cool refreshing breeze lightly rolls over me, embracing my heated skin. To the small distance I can hear the fresh grass rustle with the push of the wind and the small rocks being crushed beneath the footsteps of the company.

Upon listening to the footsteps I notice a set coming rather close to me, but I ignore whomever it is and try to focus on relaxing my body. The oncoming footsteps stop to just the left of me and I can hear Lisa's curtly cough then two jabs at my side by her fingers. I let out an annoyed sigh and open my left eye squinting up at her in the blazing sun and watch as she motions me to scoot over.

I grumble a bit but comply and make room for Lisa to relax beside me. Once Lisa is positioned to her liking she sighs in contempt. I resume to my own relaxing while having my hands tucked beneath my head, and enjoy the nature's surroundings once more.

_It almost feels like we are back home. Just Lisa and I lying on a rock in the park allowing the sun the wash over us. But, we are not home. Four days since we have been here, and nothing has yet to add up. I still can't seem to remember anything that has happened before we were brought here, but I feel that it's vital that I do. Part of me is fearful to know what exactly happened yet another part of me desires to know the truth. _

_These people, the men, the magic elder, the hobbits and the dwarf all seem to be quite nice. Though I have noticed that they are extremely on edge, like they are ready to pounce or flea at a moment's notice, even the hobbits are being very hesitant around Lisa and I. Which in some ways makes sense to me as we are outsiders. But still, I can't get rid of this thought that they are hiding something from us._

After many minutes of allowing my mind to scramble back and forth on the mystery of the company, I release a large sigh and stretch out my arms to a full extend above my head, allowing my back muscles to stretch and to release some of their tension.

Once again I feel Lisa's persistent jabbing fingers at my side and I look to her with annoyance on my face. Lisa just rolls her eyes at me before sitting up on the boulder facing me as I remain in my comfortable position. "_Come on I could really use a nice massage and I'm sure your back and shoulders are aching for one as well."_

I smile at that idea, and bounce up into a sitting criss-cross position and motion for Lisa to turn around. She obeys my orders and slowly I start to knead into her shoulders which encourages Lisa to relax completely. I hear her release a large sigh in content, and I start to work my magic in releasing the knots in her muscles.

I look out to the company as I continue my rhythmic kneading on Lisa's tense shoulders, and watch them from a distance going into their own routine. The hobbits, to my amusement, are already starting on a large pile of sticks that they're gathering from around to start to start a fire, no doubt for food. I can tell even from a long distance away, that Merry and Pippin have formed a little competition to see who can gather the most sticks by looking to one another's growing piles in agitation then flying across the plains in search for more.

I feel Lisa's silent chuckles beneath my warming hands and look to her as she leans back a turns to me with amusement then signs to me, "_Ten bucks on Pippin for gathering the most."_

Looking back up to Pippin I see him tripping every so often from rushing too quickly, but then look to Merry's persistent but steady pace as he gathers small sticks into his arms. "Oh you are so on." I spoke clearly to her smug face and without a moment of hesitation I grab Lisa's outstretched hand and give it a firm shake. Once our bet has been made, Lisa returns to her relaxed position in front of me, gazing out to the vast empty sea of plains.

I resume my deep tissue massage and once again peer out to the rest of the company. To the left of us, Aragorn and Boromir are unloading the packs off of Bill the pony to allow him to graze and rest awhile. _I feel so sad for that poor little guy. _

And to the far distance across the alcove of our little post, Gandalf finds himself a suitable rock to sit on, while Gimli joins by him pulling out a pipe from inside his tunic to smoke. Upon seeing his short pipe, Gandalf smugly pulls out his long wooden one and starts to gather his- _Wait. Is that tobacco?_

I lightly chuckle under my breath at the irony then focus back to Lisa's curious gaze directed at me, which I shake my head and ignore her cocked brow as I focus back on her aching shoulders moving to between her shoulder-blades in a circular motion with my thumbs.

Lisa releases another sigh of content before raising her hands once more, "_You know, it is a shame you decided to major in Criminology. Because I can tell you right now, you would have been one heck of an amazing masseuse making bank, instead of chasing after sweaty drunk underaged kids out of a bar or placing parking tickets on old ladies' minivans at the supermarket."_

I release my throbbing hands away from her back and look to her in surprise, "_And take all of my time away to help make you relax for free? Not too bad of an offer. But why in the hell would an-"_

Lisa snaps in front of my face and gives me a tight glare that's, sadly for her, way too adorable to take seriously. "_Language, missy."_

I clear my face to try to hide my amusement and nod in acceptance. "_Sorry, I'll watch what I say. But, back to my question. Why would an officer place a parking ticket on an old lady's van at the supermarket?"_

Lisa just shrugs her shoulders, "_Who knows, maybe because she parked in a handicap space without a license?"_

I just shake my head back and forth but make no further comment. "_Okay, it's my turn now." _Lisa puts on her best kicked puppy look, but I just roll my eyes and shove her over to switch places with me. Which, after a few pushes she complies to my wishes.

Once I position myself criss-crossing my legs in front of her, I focus my mind to clear and to enjoy myself for a few moments. Lisa brings her crossed legs up against my back and then slowly starts to massage my stiff shoulders forcing them to relax a bit. I take a deep breath allowing the tension to wither away from my body, and lightly start tracing my finger against my pink forming scar on my left thigh.

_It's completely healed now. I haven't felt any pain for the past day a least. _I stop tracing my thigh and look up to the cloudless blue sky. _What are we doing here? Is this a game? A test? No matter how long I think about it I can't seem to make any solutions as to why Lisa and I are here. Why Lisa and I?_

I look away from the sky and take another look at my surroundings. The plains of grass are endless and off to the far distance I can make out mountains that look to be surrounded and covered by thick clouds. But not a single sign of a civilization in sight.

I let out a soft sigh and look back once more to the company. But to my surprise my eyes immediately find a certain someone's emotionless ones, gazing straight at me. _Even from this distance you can see the color of his stormy eyes. Ice blue as ever. _My heart quickens in anticipation, waiting for the jump, but am suddenly broken from my stonelike trance as the incub- _No. _as Legolas, turns his back to me and resumes his '_guard watch' _out to the empty sea of plains.

_Breathe Cass, you're acting like a fish out of water! _I immediately take in a big gulp of air and try to release the tension in my shoulder. Lisa continues her deep-tissue massage trying to help me relax, but I now feel more tense now than ever. Once Lisa stops her massage I slowly stand up and stretch my my body up and release a restful sigh. I turn back to Lisa and give her a small smile, "_Thank you."_

"_You're welcome." _ Lisa then directs her attention to the company behind me with her head cocked to the side.

"Perhaps tis now a better time than ever to get in some duel practice. Pippin. Merry." I turn towards Aragorn voice and watch silently as he approaches Merry and Pippin with a determined but playful look.

_Duel Practice? _ I watch as Aragorn nods to Boromir standing beside him to which Boromir returns before gathering the sacks lying beside Bill the pony. After picking up what looks to be just a regular sack, Boromir turns back and marches up to the hobbits with a determined look on his face.

Kneeling in front of the hobbits Boromir unties the large sack and lays out-

_Wait are those swords?_

"Here." Boromir hands each hobbit a single short blade before looking to Pippin and Merry. "Today I will be dueling with you young chaps, and Frodo and Sam will duel with Aragorn hereafter." Pippin and Merry, smile brightly in unison and jump up ready to start their lesson.

Lisa shakes my left shoulder to grab my attention. "_Are they going to fight?!"_

I give her distressed face a small nod, "_A practice duel."_

"_But they are just kids! This is way too dangerous for them." _

I put a calming hand on Lisa's shoulder, "_Don't worry Lisa, I do not believe that Aragorn and Boromir are intending on intentionally hurting the Hobbits. Just teaching them some basic fighting skills. And besides the hobbits are not kids. At least that is what Merry told me when we first met the company."_

Lisa huffs at me, "_I don't see how you could be so calm. Those swords do not look very safe to me." _I just shrug my shoulders giving her my lopsided grin, and turn my focus back on Boromir, Merry and Pippin.

Watching Boromir train the little hobbits is very entertaining to say the least. Lisa and I watch as Boromir gives a full demonstration of stances and fighting forms for defence. His movements are fluid and in some ways quite graceful. The push and pull of his footwork and body movements with the sword as if it's an extension of his own arm. He flows through each of his steps and forms with precision and grace. _It's like a dance._

I take a glance to my left and find Lisa watching with wide eyes, her mouth slightly hanging open in awe, with her knees tucked beneath her chin completely entranced by his instructing sword dance. I lightly poke her in the side and she jumps with her arms raised high in the air as if a snake or spider had crawled on her. I stifle my giggle with a small cough, and quietly mimic her previous face my mouth agape, then give my smug look her way. Lisa just glares at me but then rolls her eyes and lightly pushes my shoulder away from her, silently telling me to shut up.

I laugh at her annoyed face, but reluctantly bring my focus back to the sword lesson before us. Boromir goes through a few small forms for the hobbits to follow, focusing on their footwork.

"You must center your weight down to the ground. When against your foe, grand or small, they will aim to take your balance and push it against you. You must even your weight on both foot and move that weight with you in every step. It is your stone of strength, that will aid you in battle." Boromir brings his center of weight down with him as he bends down into a defending stance.

Merry and Pippin follow his movements and lower their stances down lower to the ground with their swords in hand. But once they are close into the correct stance their balance is taken underneath them and they fall to the ground.

Boromir just gives a long sigh, but shakes his head and motions the hobbit back up. "T'was a grand try. Perhaps we try once more, but with a wider gait in your stance."

Merry and Pippin nod in agreement and stand back up into a wider stance and hold their swords up once more. But once they brought down their stance lower to the ground Merry staggered to his knees and Pippin fell flat on his face in the dirt.

I try to conceal my laughter behind my hand, but a few snickers are released and both hobbits look in my direction then shy away in embarrassment.

I feel a hard whack at the back of my head and turn to the glaring daggers of Lisa's mossy green eyes. I immediately sober up and turn back to the boys with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that."

Lisa releases a large sigh beside me and stands up, brushing off her backside from rock and grass debris before gracefully walking over to the two hobbits. She reached out a hand to Pippin and after a few pokes to Merry, gets them back up and standing with shy smiles. Lisa slightly bends down to the boys and raises her hands signing to them very slowly. "_Do not worry about what anyone else is thinking. You both are doing great. You just need more practice." _

I watch as the hobbits slowly try to read out exactly what Lisa was saying, and judging by the looks on their faces, I'd say that they understood the gist of what she was saying. They both give her nods and smiles in understanding, which brings a bright smile on Lisa's face, which in turn makes the hobbits faces crimson in seconds.

"_Here, I can be of some help." _Lisa walks over to between Merry and Pippin and expertly brings her own center down to the ground with her feet in a slanted formation that is at the width of her shoulders. She then rocks her weight forwards, backwards, and side to side, showing that she will not lose her balance.

Pippin and Merry watches Lisa's form in a relaxed but firm stance in awe. She gestures for both boys to copy her stance. Immediately smiles burt once more on their faces and they try to mimick her form. After gazing at both of their stances Lisa motions for them to remain still and she walks behind Merry first and places her hands on his shoulders lightly pushing him further down and taping the back of his right foot forward a bit more. Once Merry was in proper position she takes a step back and peers down at his solid form. Lisa smiles adoringly and gives Merry a small applause before moving onto Pippin.

But before Lisa could adjust Pippins stance Boromir takes a step forward with his hand raised, with a look on his face that reads he is not very happy. "Tis not acceptable for a lady to be masquerading a soldier, let alone leading those who wish to learn the art of swordsmanship. I thank you for your assist in lightening their hearts but please be at peace with your teachings of such things that are not in a woman's line of profession."

_Did he really just-_

"_How dare you?!" _I watch as Lisa steps before Boromir with a fuming face, signing to him franticly with a scary glare in her eyes. "_You dare say that I am not an acceptable choice to teach these boys what you could not because of your sexist traditions? Just because I have breasts and a vagina, that makes it morally acceptable to place me in a position that is belittled and looked down upon, for wanting to be of help to your sorry unuseful ass?"_

Boromir's jaw tense but he continues to stand firm in his spot and looks over to me, ignoring Lisa's fuming eyes and hands. "My Lady, if you would be so kind to tell your companion I mean her no harm, nor do I intend to anger her pride that I only wish for her to understand where her placement lies amongst the company and to-"

In a blink of an eye Boromir is suddenly down on the ground curled up and Lisa brings her right foot back to the ground. _Did she just kick him in the groin?_

"I'M. RIGHT. HERE. YOU. SEXIST. ASSHOLE!" Lisa's croaked and broken voice rips through the wind, and time practically stops. I watch as Lisa leans over Boromir and glares daggers straight into his eyes. She takes another large breath to try to calm herself down before looking to me, with determination in her eyes.

I nod to her in acceptance and once again interpret her words. "_Don't you dare speak to me through Cassandra as if I am some retarded woman who cannot speak for herself. Cass is not a messenger and I am certainly not blind to know what you are saying. So if you have something to say to me, then face me and say it like an actual man, otherwise shut up and move the hell on!"_

Aragorn steps forward, "I believe it would be best if we all just calm ourselves. Yes? Perhaps we all could use a breather and maybe brew up something to sooth our hungers."

I watch as Lisa looks to Aragorn in anger but then slowly releases the tension in her shoulders and straightens herself up before taking a few steps back. Lisa gives a small nod and turns to walk away from them to the edge of the border. I can tell already just by looking at the side of her red face that she is embarrassed and shocked by her actions. She looks to me as she passes by and shakes her head with an apologetic smile, mentally asking me to give her some space which I nod in acceptance.

I gaze amongst the company and land my eyes on Sam to the right of Frodo perched upon his own rock. Silently I walk up to the two hobbits and gain the curious gazes from both. Though from Frodo I can read a slight fear in his eyes that is unnerving. Upon seeing my advance Sam quickly jumps forward and takes a few steps in front of Frodo. I quickly clear my throat to rid of the butterflies in my gut that started to rise slightly and lightly smile to Sam's hard gaze. "Hey Sam. I was wondering if you needed any help, with preparing some of the food. I could try to gather some firewood or some kindling maybe. Is there anything I can do?"

I watch as the sudden tension that was in his shoulders wither away and hear the sudden shuffles of pairs of feet behind me. I turn my gaze to the rest of the company around me and watch as they all walk away from us but never turning their back completely.

_What am I the boogie woman or something? _I peer back to the slightly hidden black haired hobbit sitting with a slight haunted look. _He's looking a bit pale. Is he sick? _I watch as Sam rocks his weight back and forth on his bare feet, as if he was a little dear or a hungry tiger ready to leap. I try to ignore the sudden prickling of the hairs standing on my neck and clear my throat once more.

I look to Frodo expectantly, "Alright, now I am curious. You're not some runaway prince or something right?"

That gets a few confused blinks from the quiet hobbit and he looks up to me, "What?"

"So you do have a voice! I was honestly starting to believe that you were just a mute with a bunch of bodyguards." I laugh lightly at the idea. "So be straight with me. Am I standing amidst royalty, or are all of these tense men lumbering around you just part of the package of this insane looking band of men and interesting creatures?"

Another few blinks and a shocked look remains on the little hobbits face.

"Hey I won't push you into revealing anything that you do not want to. Just know that I am much more perceptive than that of the average woman and I can sense that there is something very special indeed about you." I waged my brows up and down in exaggeration.

"Thank you, Lady Cassandra." Sam jumps in cutting off my fun one sided banter, and I can feel a pout slowly forming on my face. "Tis nice of you to ask if I require any assistance, but I am quite alright with Frodo's help. Please don't feel that you need to do anything. You can just take the time to rest a while."

_Seriously? What has all of these guys tied up in a bunch? _I gave a curt nod in acceptance and clear my face of all emotions. "Alright. Well if you do change your mind, just holler."

Sam just gives me a firm nod and a small forced smile standing tense once more. _I guess that's my cue to leave. _I turn to leave but stop to gaze at the large boulders above us towering up the large hill that we stand near the base of a hill.

Suddenly something deep inside me pushes me toward those boulders and without saying a word I expertly prance up the hill jumping from rock to rock until I am near the top. I can hear the winds around me getting stronger as I break away from the boulders protective shelter, and can smell a strong sweet fragrance of the wild grass and clear air. That deep pull inside me urges my body forward and to quicken my pace, which I immediately comply and push my slight aching calves forward into a light run to reach the very top of the inclined hill.

Once I make it to the very top a take a few deep breaths forcing my heart to slow down its beating pace, and gaze out across the sea of plains. _Wow. _I gaze out in awe of the endless plains watching as the grass bends with the commands of the winds. _It's so peaceful._

"Peaceful, is it not?"

Immediately I jump in fear and whip out my hidden army swiss knife from my pants and aim to attack my attacker from behind. But once I turn around I find the angelic incubus, Legolas, standing before me with his brows slightly raised and the corner of his lips at a slight tilt upward. His bow is strapped to his back, but I've seen his reflexes before and know that if I hesitate even a moment, it could be the cost of my own life.

I sneer up at his carefree appearance, as if I do not intimidate him in the slightest. "What the hell do you want, Goldie Locks?"

His left brow reaches a new limit up to his hairline. "'Goldie Locks'?"

_Shit. Did I really say that allowed?_ I give him no reply and force myself to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth. _Calm down Cass. _I straighten my back and try to relax my strained shoulders as I refasten my swiss knife back beneath the belt line of my short-long pants. I then turn away from him, and try to ignore his presence by focusing back on the scenery before me.

"Aragorn has encouraged that I come and make peace with you, for our feud has not gone unnoticed amongst the company." I don't even bother to acknowledge his presence.

_Maybe if I ignore him for a while he'll just go away. Wait? _I sneer at my next thought. _When in the hell did I start to associate the incubus as a male? This creature has been starting to rub off on me. Oh gods._

The incubus just releases a large sigh. "My Lady I-"

"Stop right there." I turn and glare up at the beautiful creature before me, and look deeply into his endless crystal blue eyes. "I am not a Lady, nor will I ever be _your_ Lady. So let's stop these formalities and bogus chivalry acts right now. Everyone around you may be blind to your act but I know far more than you think. I will not be an easy prey for you to devour within the night. Now if we are done with _Making Peace_, I would rather you just-"

Legolas is no longer even looking at me, as his attention is drawn to the distance behind me. I just scoff at his bipolar attitude and make to walk away when a sudden chill overcomes my spine and I am frozen in place. An instant fever breaks me out into a sweat and my vision blurs and shifts before me. I turn around to the plains behind me and a eerie but smooth as silk voice touches my mind getting louder and louder.

_You will be the changing course of battle within this new world, and see life and death through my eyes..._

_You will be the changing course of battle within this new world, and see life and death through my eyes..._

_You will be the changing course of battle within this new world, and see life and death through my eyes..._

_It is time Cassandra._

A splitting headache immediately bursts through my head and I scream out in pain and I fall down to the ground clenching my head between my hands. _MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE MAKE IT STOP! _I can hear off to the far distance muffled words of a cloud, the wind and a few names that I have never heard of.

_Open your eyes Cassandra. _The woman's voice in my head sends those commanding words and I have no choice but to open my eyes as if I have no control over my own body.

My eyes snap open and the beautiful plains that I once looked upon are no longer before me.

_Blood. _My eyes take in the rage of death below me covering the endless plains. Corpses of men dressed in armor and horses spread about are all covered in blood, impaled or stabbed with arrows and swords. To the distance withered and bloodied flags hang on but mere threads as they wave in the silent wind. The smell of the blood and rotten flesh fills my lungs and my eyes water from the sting.

I force my eyes shut and try to rid the horrid scene before me and breathe. But before I could take my second breath, I feel my body being lifted up and pulled at the arms. I open my eyes to find bloody hands encircled around both of my own retched bloody hands. _This is just a dream it's not real! Wake up Cass! _

My body is pulled further into the graveyard of the battle that once raged here, and the blood caked hands who have encaged me towers over my frame and I am shocked still in place as I look into the dead eyes of a tall filthy blonde man. His dull grey eyes look empty and cold, as he peers into my own eyes. Blood leaks from his nose and mouth as the man tries to speak to me, trying to gain my attention but all I can hear is the gurgling of the blood in the man's lungs. The sickening smell of his burnt infected flesh makes me want to gag that I try to pull away, but I am trapped within his strong grasp that I cannot seem to be freed from him.

After many long agonizing steps through the blood and carcases, I am suddenly pushed down onto my back and am placed beneath a burning bush that the soil is covered in the blood of fallen steed. The dead man lures over me and cages me beneath his body with such strength that I never new a dead man could have. The winds around us roar and I gaze up at the red sky above me and watch in horror as spirits of the dead soar across the skies, circling around and around above me.

I am shaking in fear from the sight above me and can feel mealworms moving about beneath me and crawling between my fingers and upon my bear left leg. I feel the tears streaming down my face and I fight against the dying man above me to release me from this horror.

_Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! _I yell at myself over and over.

The dead man releases my left hand and brings his broken hand up to my left shoulder and lightly speaks to me, shaking me, but every time he speaks more blood pours out of his mouth and his voice gurgles in pain. I start to hyperventilate but force my eyes to shut once more.

_WAKE UP CASS!_

Immediately I open my eyes and the dead man once before that caged above me is now replaced by the Incubus. I look to the bush above us and find it full and green, I turn my head to the side and look out to the beautiful plains and can hear the distant chatter of the company accompanied by their footsteps.

_It was all a dream?_

I turn my head back and am shock stilled by the concerned blue eyes above me that are locked on my own. The incubus makes to move and I can feel his hand upon my shoulder. In half a second, my right fist makes contact with the side of his face and I immediately shove the creature away from me as I shakily make to stand.

I try to hold my breakfast from this morning in as I take a few deep breaths. I can hear the incubus standing up as well and I look to him with my best death glare. "Fucking touch me again, and I will cut you."

Immediately I am encased by small warm arms and I turn my head down to find Lisa's frame glued to my own. I am shock stilled by the contact but then take a deep breath and cling back tightly to Lisa's body. But before I start to enjoy our embrace she cuts it short and holds me at a distance evaluating me.

I laugh nervously and bat her hands away. "_What are you doing?"_

Lisa signs frantically to me with worry in her eyes. "_When those birds came, I hid with Merry and Pippin, and while we were hiding I saw Pippin make a comment asking Merry if that was you who was screaming her head off. I thought that those scary black birds got you or something, but Boromir forced me to stay hidden, I couldn't get to you." _She takes a relieving sigh and takes a step back.

"_But by the looks of it, I have nothing to worry about." _Lisa then looks up to me, and peers closer at my face."_Or do I? What happened?"_

I just cut her off by shaking my head. "_It's nothing. I'm just really tired."_ Lisa does not look fooled in the slightest but she nods once, knowing that there is not much that can be done.

"-We must take the Pass of Caradhras." I finally tune into the conversation around us and find the company looking up to the mountains.

I clear my throat and gather the company's attention to Lisa and I. "Hey not to be rude or anything, but can someone tell us what the hell those flying things were? What's going on here?"

The whole company stand there silent and all look to Gandalf in question. Gandalf just looks to Lisa and I in question and hums to himself in thought.

_What kind of world have Lisa and I been thrown into?_

* * *

_Like it? Love it? Any Suggestions or comments? Let me know and I will try to get back to you ASAP!_

_BlackStarsLight_


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